Disposed

Prem Shankar@Premkumar v. State of Rajasthan and Anr.

Rajasthan HC11 Feb 2025CRLR/909/2014

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Rash and negligent driving conviction upheld in revision; sentence for IPC 279, 337, 304-A and M.V. Act offences reduced to period already undergone given protracted trial spanning over 26 years.

What did the court decide?

Sentence reduced to period already undergone; bail bonds discharged.

What the court decided

Prem Shankar@Premkumar Vs State of Rajasthan and… — Criminal Trial and Appeal | Rajasthan HC (2025)

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[2025:RJ-JP:5929]

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HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR

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S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 909/2014

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Prem Shankar @ Premkumar Son Of Shravan Lal, By Caste Brahmin, R/o Rajoli, Police Station Lalsot, District Dausa Raj. (At Present Accused Petitioner Confined In District Jail Dausa)

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----Petitioner

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Versus

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State Of Rajasthan Through P.p.

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----Respondent

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For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Gajendra Singh Rathore For Respondent(s) : Mr. Naresh Kumar Gupta- Dy. G.A. and Mr. Vivek Sharma- Addl. G.A.

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HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE BHUWAN GOYAL

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Order

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11/02/2025

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The present revision petition under Section 397 read with Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, has been filed by the accused-petitioner- Prem Shankar @ Premkumar against Judgment and Order dated 05.07.2014 passed by Additional Sessions Judge, Lalsot, District Dausa (hereinafter referred to as "appellate court") in Criminal Appeal No. 11/2013 (Prem Shankar @ Premkumar vs. State of Rajasthan) vide which criminal appeal filed by the accused-petitioner against the Judgment and Order of Sentence dated 02.06.2012 passed by Judicial Magistrate First Class, Lalsot, District Dausa (hereinafter referred to as "trial court") convicting and sentencing him for the offences under sections 279, 337 & 304-A I.P.C. and Section 134/187 of Motor Vehicle Act, was dismissed. The sentence awarded to the petitioner is as under:-

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offence	sentence	fine	sentence in
			default
u/s 279 IPC	6 Months S.I	Rs. 1000/-	15 Days S.I
u/s 337 IPC	6 Months S.I	Rs. 500/-	10 Days S.I
u/s 304-A IPC	2years S.I	Rs. 2000/-	15 days S.I
u/s 134/187 M.V Act	1 month S.I	Rs. 100/-	2 Days S.I
(All sen	tences were ord	ered to run conc	urrently)

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Facts of the case in short are that on the basis of the written report submitted by complainant – Kanhaiya lal (P.W. 1) with respect to an incident occurred on 22.08.1998, wherein the allegation of driving the bus rash & negligently resulting into causing injuries to injured and death of one Meetha lal was leveled, F.I.R. No. 324/98 was registered at Police Station Lalsot, District Dausa for the offences under Sections 279, 337 of I.P.C. During investigation, police added Section 304-A of I.P.C. & Section 134/187 of the Motor Vehicle Act. After conclusion of investigation, police submitted charge-sheet against accusedpetitioner for the offences under sections 279, 337 & 304-A of I.P.C. & Section 134/187 of the Motor Vehicle Act offences. The trial court framed charges for the aforesaid offences under Sections and trial was commenced. After conclusion of trial, the trial court passed judgment and order of sentence dated 02.06.2012 convicting and sentencing him for the offences under Sections 279, 337, 338 & 304-A of I.P.C. & Section 134/187 of the Motor Vehicle Act, as stated above. Aggrieved by judgment of conviction and sentence dated 02.06.2012, accused-petitioner preferred an appeal before the learned appellate court, which

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judgment of the trial court. Hence, this criminal revision petition has been preferred by the accused-petitioner.

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Heard learned counsel for the parties.

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After arguing the matter on merits at some length, learned counsel for the accused-petitioner does not wish to press instant revision petition challenging judgments passed by the courts below qua conviction and prefers to make submissions on the point of sentence only.

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Learned counsel for the accused-petitioner has submitted that incident in the present case took place way back in the year 1998 i.e. more than 26 years ago; accused-petitioner was 37 years of age at the time of incident and now he is around 63 years old and facing agony of trial since last more than 26 years; accused-petitioner who is sole bread earner in the family, belongs to poor strata of society and remained in custody for a period of eighteen days and there is no previous conviction recorded against the accused-petitioner, therefore, he prays that ends of justice would meet if a lenient view is taken in the matter and sentence of imprisonment awarded to the accused-petitioner is reduced to the period already undergone by him.

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Learned counsel for the accused-petitioner has relied upon the judgment of Hon'ble Supreme Court in Chander Shekhar vs. State of Rajasthan (Criminal Appeal No. 4161/2024) decided on 04.10.2024 and the judgments rendered by a coordinate Bench of this Court in the cases of Shyamveer Singh vs. State of Rajasthan (S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 724/2003) decided on 15.05.2024, Smt. Sudesh Kumari vs.

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State of Rajasthan (S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 1047/2005) decided on 09.10.2024, Mahesh Bhargava vs. State of Rajasthan (S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 737/2005) decided on 06.11.2024, Pappu vs. State of Rajasthan (S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 538/2005) decided on 21.08.2024, Annu @ Anwar vs. State of Rajasthan (S.B. Criminal Writ Petition No. 333/2018) decided on 04.11.2024, Banna Ram vs. State of Rajasthan (S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 391 of 2006) decided on 08.07.2024, Heera Lal vs. State of Rajasthan (S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 733/2003) decided on 14.02.2024 & Ram Karan vs. State of Rajasthan (S.B. Criminal Revision Petition No. 972 of 2006) decided on 08.07.2024.

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Per contra, learned Public Prosecutor while opposing the revision petition, submits that looking to the overall facts and circumstances of the case and the well reasoned speaking orders passed by the courts below, sentence awarded by the trial court cannot be said to be disproportionate, therefore, no interference in sentence is warranted in this case.

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I have considered the arguments advanced at the Bar and have gone through judgments passed by both the courts below and record of the case as also judgments cited in this case. 9. Since the revision petition against conviction of the accusedpetitioner is not pressed on merits and after perusing the record, nothing is noticed which requires interference in the finding of guilt reached by the courts below, this Court does not wish to

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interfere in the judgments passed by courts below qua conviction of the accused-petitioner. Accordingly, the judgments passed by the courts below qua conviction of the accused-petitioner are maintained.

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As far as quantum of sentence is concerned, a perusal of record transpires that accused-petitioner, who was only 37 years young boy at the time of incident, has already suffered the agony of protracted trial, spanning over a period of more than 26 years and he remained incarcerated for some time after passing of the judgment, and no evidence regarding previous conviction of the accused-petitioner is produced on record.

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This Court is conscious of the judgments rendered in Alister Anthony Pareira Vs. State of Maharashtra : (2012) 2 SCC

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648 and Haripada Das Vs. State of W.B. : (1998) 9 SCC 678 , wherein, the Hon'ble Apex Court observed as under:-

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Alister Anthony Pareira (Supra)

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“There is no straitjacket formula for sentencing an accused on proof of crime. The courts have evolved certain principles: twin objective of the sentencing policy is deterrence and correction. What sentence would meet the ends of justice depends on the facts and circumstances of each case and the court must keep in mind the gravity of the crime, motive for the crime, nature of the offence and all other attendant circumstances.”

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Haripada Das (Supra)

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“…considering the fact that the respondent had already undergone detention for some period and the case is pending for a pretty long time for which he had suffered both financial hardship and mental agony and also considering the fact that he had been released on bail as far back as on 17-1-1986, we feel that the ends of justice will be met in the facts of the case if the sentence is reduced to the period already undergone…”

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After perusing judgments and orders impugned, considering the submissions of learned counsel for the parties and the precedent law on the issue, this Court is of the opinion that if at this stage, accused-petitioner is sent behind bars, family of the petitioner will also suffer, therefore, no fruitful purpose would be served by sending him to jail now.

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Consequently, the judgments dated 05.07.2014 and 02.06.2012 passed by both the courts below qua conviction of the accused-petitioner for the offences under Sections 279, 337 & 304-A of I.P.C. & Section 134/187 of the Motor Vehicle Act are affirmed but the quantum of sentence for the offences under Sections 279, 337 & 304-A of I.P.C. & Section 134/187 of the Motor Vehicle Act, awarded to the accused-petitioner by the trial court and affirmed by the appellate court is modified and is reduced to the period already undergone by him, which would be sufficient and justifiable to serve interest of justice. The accusedpetitioner is on bail. He need not to surrender. His bail bonds are discharged.

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The revision petition stands disposed of with aforesaid modification in the order of sentence.

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A copy of this order along with records be sent to the trial court forthwith.

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(BHUWAN GOYAL),J

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Inder /42

Prem Shankar@Premkumar v. State of Rajasthan and Anr.

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Prem Shankar@Premkumar v. State of Rajasthan and Anr.

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