100 drunk drivers lose licence for 3 months in Chandigarh, Rs 1-lakh fine collected - Hindustan Times
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100 drunk drivers lose licence for 3 months in Chandigarh, Rs 1-lakh fine collected

Hindustan Times, Chandigarh | By, Chandigarh
Jan 03, 2018 10:10 PM IST

New Year’s Eve revelry: Chandigarh senior superintendent of police (SSP, traffic) Shashank Anand had taken to Twitter to issue a warning: “How do you wish to welcome 2018? Standing before a court of law?”

Coming down heavily on revellers challaned for drink driving during weeklong festivities that culminated on New Year’s Eve, the Chandigarh district courts on Tuesday suspended the driving licences of at least 100 people for three months while sentencing six till rising of court.

The Chandigarh district courts complex in Sector 43 witnessed a huge rush of traffic offenders on Tuesday. At least 250 challans issued in the run-up to New Year’s Eve were disposed of.(HT Photo)
The Chandigarh district courts complex in Sector 43 witnessed a huge rush of traffic offenders on Tuesday. At least 250 challans issued in the run-up to New Year’s Eve were disposed of.(HT Photo)

The district courts complex in Sector 43 witnessed a huge rush of traffic offenders on Tuesday, as over 250 challans were disposed of. Of these 166 challans were for drink driving.

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The court collected Rs 2-lakh fine from the offenders, of which Rs 1 lakh was from the ones challaned for getting behind the wheel in an inebriated condition. Their cars have already been impounded.

In India, the permissible blood alcohol content (BAC) is set at 0.03% per 100ml blood. That works out to 30mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

While suspending the licence of at least 100 people for three months, the court asked the remaining to appear before it again as their licences were found to be invalid.

Among those sentenced till rising of court was Manimajra resident Ajay Kumar Shorie, a repeat offender. He was earlier challaned in January 2016. He was ordered to pay up Rs 3,000 and his licence was also suspended for three months. The six offenders were made to stand in the courtroom for the day.

The traffic police had been on their toes since Christmas, and had set up 20 nakas on New Year’s Eve. In fact, UT senior superintendent of police (SSP, traffic) Shashank Anand had taken to Twitter to issue a warning: “How do you wish to welcome 2018? Standing before a court of law?”

According to the Motor Vehicles Act, a drunk driver can be awarded six months jail or Rs 2,000 fine or both for the first offence, while there is a provision for two years jail or Rs 3,000 fine or both for second or subsequent offence within three years of the previous offence.

In India, the permissible blood alcohol content (BAC) is set at 0.03% per 100ml blood. That works out to 30mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

Chandigarh courts have been mostly sentencing the drunk drivers till the rising of the court, but the UT police traffic in-charge had written to the chief judicial magistrate to recommend suspension of driving licences, according to the recommendations of the Supreme Court’s road safety committee.

The panel has issued instructions to all states and UTs to suspend licences of drunk drivers for a period not less than three months. The penalty is imposed under the Motor Vehicle Act and Central Motor Vehicles Rules. The licence is sent back to the registered address of the violator after the completion of the period of suspension through registered post.

Fine goes up

The Chandigarh court had suspended the licence of only two violators caught for drink driving on New Year’s Eve last year. Even the fine imposed on the violators was mostly Rs 500. However, this year, most of the people were made to pay Rs 2,000.

Touts do brisk business

With a larger number of people reaching the court, touts made the most of it. Some could be seen charging thrice the challan amount to help the violators get their licence from court. Presence of touts on the courts complex is illegal.

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