State (Nct of Delhi) v. Mahavir Singh
Case brief
What is this about?
Delhi High Court (Chandrasekharan Sudha, J.), CRL.A. 214/2018, pronounced 16.05.2026: State appeal under S.378 CrPC against acquittal under S.255(1) CrPC of sole accused (Mahavir Singh) for Ss.279/304A IPC in a fatal 1999 road accident at Nangloi Chowk, Najafgarh Road (tanker HR-47-5860; deceased Constable Chander Pal; charge-sheet also under Ss.134/187 MV Act). Key concepts: rash and negligent driving; insufficiency of general assertions of 'high speed'/'rash'/'negligent'; res ipsa loquitur and no presumption of criminality in criminal trials; high speed as relative term; evidentiary value of site plan; sole eyewitness reliability and driver identification (eyewitness admitted not seeing driver); burden of proof and presumption of innocence; standard of appellate review of acquittal — another view possible versus wholly unreasonable or perverse view; Section 304A IPC ingredients and scope (Naresh Giri); criminal rashness/negligence (Alister Anthony Pareira); State of Karnataka v. Satish; Partap v. State of U.P.; Vijayee Singh. Result: appeal dismissed, acquittal upheld.