Hyderabad: The message is loud and clear. Two persons who were caught for drunk driving are behind bars for 16 days, while another one who was caught driving without a license is cooling his heels for four days. These are from among 55 persons who were sent to jail, for durations varying from one day to 16 days, after being caught by the Cyberabad Traffic Police on charges of drunk driving and driving without licence. Of these, 52 were caught for drunk driving, while three were caught without licence.
According to the traffic police, they were among 483 persons caught for drunk driving during regular vehicle checking between August 31 and September 3 at various places across the Cyberabad Commissionerate. All those caught were produced before court, which imposed a total fine of Rs 13.5 lakh on violators of the drunk driving rule and Rs 4.6 lakh on those without driving licence.
According to the police, Rajendranagar stood in first place with 34 persons imprisoned for drunk driving, followed by Shamshabad with 18 persons. The driving licences of all the persons caught drunk were being sent to the Regional Transport Authority concerned for suspension of the licence, officials said.
“Drunk driving and driving by unauthorised persons have been the major causes of road crashes and fatalities in Cyberabad. Hence, we have been taking stringent legal action against such violators,” said a senior official from Cyberabad Traffic Wing.
In view of the increasing number of road accidents due to drunk driving, the traffic police have started strictly acting against drunk drivers while following due Covid safety precautions, the official said, adding that those who cause fatal accidents, particularly under drunken condition, were being booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder as per section 304 part II of the Indian Penal Code which would result in the imprisonment of up to 10 years.
Also, the persons who knowingly allow or accompany the drunk drivers were also being prosecuted for abetting the crimes. The Cyberabad Police were also intimating the institutions or organisations where the persons involved in mishaps work and are urging to conduct road safety education to their employees.
