New Delhi, A Delhi court has convicted a former DTC bus driver for rash and negligent driving that led to the death of a man in 2021, observing that his actions were “manifestly and indubitably fraught with rashness.”
Judicial Magistrate Twinkle Chawla was hearing the case registered by the Inderpuri police station against the accused Karan Singh under Indian Penal Code Sections 279 and 304A .
The court underlined that the impact was so immense that the victim suffered a skull fracture and had tyre marks on his chest and neck. The court also pointed out that the accident occurred during peak morning hours and that the bus was not being driven in its designated lane. “This act of the accused was manifestly and indubitably fraught with rashness and negligence.
Noting the victim’s brother’s testimony, the court in its order dated August 17 rejected the driver’s defence that his vehicle was not involved in the accident. The court said it is incumbent upon a professional driver of a larger vehicle such as the CNG DTC bus to adopt extra care and caution so that the safety of other persons on the road as well as its own passengers is not jeopardised.
“The accused did not bother to slow down the speed and failed to apply the brakes in time, resulting in the collision and thereafter, running over the victim,” the court said. Rashness and negligence are writ large and can unmistakably be inferred from the very fact that the accused rammed the offending vehicle into a much smaller vehicle, i.e., a scooty and also applied brakes only after the collision and after running over the victim,” the court said, convicting the driver of the offences.
