New Delhi: An auto driver, held guilty of causing death of a man by his rash and negligent driving, has been sentenced to six months in jail by a Delhi court which said he does not deserve any leniency as an innocent life has been lost due to him.
District judge P S Teji dismissed the appeal filed by Shankar against the order of a magisterial court which had awarded him six months jail term for the offence.
"In view of the fact that an innocent person has lost his life due to rash and negligent act of the appellant (Shankar), in my considered opinion, he does not deserve any leniency.
"No ground is made out either to reduce the sentence or to release the appellant on probation. In my view the sentence of imprisonment awarded to the appellant by the metropolitan magistrate is just and adequate and does not call for any interference," the judge said, adding that there is no merit in Shankar`s appeal.
According to the prosecution, the accident had taken place in November 2007 in Mandawali area here when Shankar had hit the victim, Nitin Gupta, with his auto.
Due to the impact, Gupta had suffered serious injuries and later on he succumbed to the same, it said.
Shankar had challenged the magistrate`s conviction and sentencing order on the ground that the accident had taken place due to sudden breakdown of the front wheel of his vehicle and there was no negligence on his part.
He said due to the breakdown, he had lost balance and the vehicle had hit the victim and after the incident, he himself took Gupta to hospital but this fact was not appreciated by the magistrate.
The judge, however, noted that as per the prosecution evidence, victim`s uncle had deposed that Shankar was driving the vehicle in a rash and negligent manner and had hit Gupta.
The accused was caught by the passersby and then Gupta`s uncle had taken him to hospital, the judge noted.
PTI
