Court orders re-trial in ‘rash driving’ case

The trial court had noted that just to solve the case, a person was made to pose as an eyewitness.

2 min readNew DelhiDec 16, 2014 11:25 AM IST

Observing that a vehicle may be “rashly or negligently driven” even without “high speed”, a Delhi court ordered the re-trial of a road accident case, where the driver of a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) recovery van had been acquitted.

Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala directed a trial court to conduct re-trial of the case, in which a biker was killed after the bike was allegedly hit by a DTC recovery van driven by accused Virender Singh.

Acquitting Singh, the magisterial court had concluded that the DTC van was towing another bus, and hence, it was impossible for the offending vehicle to be driven at a high speed.

Objecting to the explanation, the sessions court observed, “Recovery van was towing another vehicle and it is not always a case that a vehicle travelling at a high speed is assumed to be driven in a rash or negligent manner. A vehicle may be rashly or negligently driven without high speed as well,” the court said.

According to the prosecution, Singh was driving the van in a rash and negligent manner and hit a motorcycle. The rider Ikram died due to the accident.

The trial court, however, discharged the accused, observing that he was connected to the case only on the basis of the statement of an eyewitness who was produced later by police.

The trial court had noted that just to solve the case, a person was made to pose as an eyewitness.

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However, the sessions court, directing re-trial in the case, said the present case “prima-facie” disclosed commission of offence under IPC Sections 279 (driving rashly and negligently) and 304-A (causing death by rash or negligent act) against Singh.

Kaunain Sheriff M

As City Editor ( Delhi) at the Indian Express, Kaunain Sheriff leads city reporting with a sharp focus on accountability journalism, data-driven stories, and ground-level impact. As the National Health Editor he leads the newsroom’s in-depth coverage of pressing health issues. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, a definitive investigation into the accountability of one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical corporations. Areas of Expertise Investigative Reporting: Has deep expertise in investigative reporting spanning public health, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and the criminal justice system. His work sits at the intersection of governance, law, and accountability, with a particular focus on how regulatory failures, institutional lapses, and policy decisions affect citizens’ rights and safety. Data Journalism: Has extensively on big data–driven investigations, including analyses of flagship government schemes and large datasets on criminal trials, uncovering systemic gaps. Global Collaborations Kaunain is a key contributor to major international journalistic projects: The Implant Files: Collaborated with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) to expose global malpractices in the medical device industry. Chinese Big-Data Investigation: Uncovered how a foreign data firm monitored thousands of prominent Indian institutions and individuals in real-time. Awards & Recognition His commitment to "Journalism of Courage" has been recognized with the industry's highest honors: Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism SOPA Award (Society of Publishers in Asia) Red Ink Award (Mumbai Press Club) Indian Express Excellence Awards (Triple recipient for investigations into the NSA abuse in UP, Vyapam scam, and the anti-Sikh riots). Education: Studied Mechanical Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Bangalore, before moving to Delhi to pursue his passion for journalism. His engineering training informs his analytical approach, enabling him to decode technical, legal, and data-heavy systems with precision. Social media LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kaunain-sheriff-3a00ab99 X ( fromerly Twitter): @kaunain_s ... Read More

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