20. In the case at hand, the star witness of the prosecution was PW-1 who has
deposed that one tempo was being driven in a rash and negligent driving and
had hit one person. He made call on 100 number and police had come to the
spot. This witness has not deposed anything about the speed of the tempo or
the manner in which the tempo was being driven. Merely making a bald
statement that the accused was driving the vehicle in rash and negligent
manner is not sufficient to prove the rashness / negligence on part of the
accused. Moreover there are no photographs of the spot on the judicial record.
The reason for non-filing of the photographs is known best to the IO who has
not been examined. The site plan is also merely a perfunctory one and nothing
material could be inferred from it. The mechanical inspection report is also of no
State v. Vishnu Dutt Joshi U/s 279/304A IPC 8/9
FIR No. 347/05 PS Paschim Vihar
use to the prosecution as no damage was found on the vehicle as no collision
with another object had taken place.
34. A similar view was expressed in the case of State of Rajasthan vs.
Shera Ram, (2012) 1 SCC 602 wherein the Supreme Court held that a
judgment of acquittal has the obvious consequence of granting freedom
to the accused and unless the judgment in appeal is contrary to
evidence, palpably erroneous or a view which could not have been
taken by the court of competent jurisdiction keeping in view the settled
Crl. A. No. 24 of 2008 Page 12 of 17
canons of criminal jurisprudence, the Court shall be reluctant to interfere
with such judgment of acquittal.
The Supreme Court in State of Rajasthan Vs. Shera Ram alias Vishnu Dutta (2012) 1 SCC 602, held that there is no documentary or oral evidence to prove the fact that the injuries caused by the respondent to the deceased were sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death. This, however, cannot be stated as an absolute proposition of law and the question whether the particular injury was sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death or not, is a question of fact, which will have to be determined in light of the facts, circumstances and evidence produced in a given case. There could be cases where injuries caused upon the body of the deceased per se can irresistibly lead to the conclusion that the injuries were sufficient to cause death in the ordinary course of nature, while there may be other cases.
The standard of test to be applied shall be of
legal insanity and not medical insanity, as
observed in State of Rajasthan v. Shera Ram
[State of Rajasthan v. Shera Ram, (2012) 1
SCC 602 : (2012) 1 SCC (Cri) 406] , as
follows: (Shera Ram case [State of Rajasthan v.
Shera Ram, (2012) 1 SCC 602 : (2012) 1 SCC
(Cri) 406] , SCC p. 614, para 19)
"19. ... Once, a person is found to be suffering
from mental disorder or mental deficiency,
which takes within its ambit hallucinations,
dementia, loss of memory and self-control, at
all relevant times by way of appropriate
documentary and oral evidence, the person
concerned would be entitled to seek resort to
the general exceptions from criminal liability."
18. The Apex Court in case of State of Rajasthan Vs. Shera Ram
@ Vishnu Dutta (supra) has observed that the judgment of acquittal
has a consequence of granting freedom to the accused. Unless the
judgment in appeal is contrary to evidence, palpably erroneous or a
view which could not have been taken by the Court of competent
jurisdiction keeping in view the settled cannons of criminal
jurisprudence, the Appellate Court shall be reluctant to interfere with
such judgment of acquittal. It is further observed that penal laws in
India are primarily based upon certain fundamental procedural
values, which are right to fair trial and presumption of innocence. A
person is presumed to be innocent till proven guilt and once held to
be not guilty of a criminal charge, he enjoys the benefit of such
presumption which could be interfered with only for valid and
proper reasons.
inapplicability of the exception. But, it is not every
and any plea of unsoundness of mind that will
suffice. The standard of test to be applied shall be
of legal insanity and not medical insanity, as
observed in State of Rajasthan v. Shera Ram [State
of Rajasthan v. Shera Ram, (2012) 1 SCC 602 :
The Supreme Court in State of Rajasthan Vs. Shera Ram alias Vishnu Dutta (2012) 1 SCC 602, held that there is no documentary or oral evidence to prove the fact that the injuries caused by the respondent to the deceased were sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death. This, however, cannot be stated as an absolute proposition of law and the question whether the particular injury was sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death or not, is a question of fact, which will have to be determined in light of the facts, circumstances and evidence produced in a given case. There could be cases where injuries caused upon the body of the deceased per se can irresistibly lead to the conclusion that the injuries were sufficient to cause death in the ordinary course of nature, while there may be other cases.
Similarly, in the case of State of Rajasthan v. Shera Ram
alias Vishnu Dutta, reported (2012) 1 SCC 602,' the Hon'ble
Supreme Court has observed as under:--