Negligent driving: Man gets 3-months jail for causing death

A man, convicted of causing death of an 11-year-old child by negligent driving, has been jailed for three months by a Delhi court which modified the sentence of six months awarded by a trial court on the ground that he was facing trial for over 14 years.
Additional Sessions Judge Praveen Kumar dismissed the revision petition filed by convict Pramod Kumar against the magisterial court verdict which had jailed him for six months and directed him to pay a compensation of Rs 20,000 to the victim's family.
"I am of the opinion that appellant has been rightly convicted by the trial court for committing offences under sections 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC," it said.

"Considering the fact that appellant is facing trial for the last 14 years, the sentence imposed by the trial court is modified to the extent that appellant is sentenced to undergo rigorous jail term of one month for committing offence under section 279 IPC and three months under section 304A IPC," the sessions court said, adding that both the sentences would run concurrently.
It, however, said the trial court's order regarding compensation to the victim's family would remain unchanged.
According to the prosecution, in February 2001, Pramod was rashly and negligently driving a tempo in Trinagar area of Northwest Delhi. The vehicle hit a scooter killing the 11- year-old boy who was riding on the pillion. Pramod, however, had denied the allegations against him.

After the trial court's order, Pramod approached the sessions court against his conviction and jail term.