State vs Pankaj Kumar Advocate - Shri Sunil Jhakar — 239/2021

Case Summary: State v. Pankaj Kumar (Case 239/2021) Court Decision: The Village Court of Navalgarh, Jhunjhunu acquitted accused Pankaj Kumar (age 23) under IPC Sections 279 and 338 on April 2, 2026, giving him the benefit of doubt. The court found the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused recklessly operated his motorcycle (RJ 18 SW 9801) and caused a collision with a Roadways bus (RJ 11 PA 1841) on August 30, 2021, injuring two persons. Key Reasoning: Although eyewitness accounts from the bus driver and conductor described a collision, the court noted internal contradictions in their testimonies, lack of independent corroboration, and credibility concerns. The court held that merely proving a collision occurred does not establish the accused drove recklessly or negligently—prosecution bore the burden of proving mens rea beyond reasonable doubt, which it failed to discharge. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.