Gurugram: Wrong-side driving FIRs may hit police verification for jobs

Police say convictions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita will reflect in character certificates and security clearances required for government posts.

Police will now prosecute wrong-side drivers in court by registering FIRs under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita instead of issuing spot fines, a move that could also adversely affect police verification reports required for government jobs and security clearances, officials said on Saturday.

Police say FIRs and convictions will be recorded permanently, ending the option of settling violations through challans or Lok Adalats. (HT Archive)

Police officers said offenders caught driving on the wrong side on highways, expressways or city roads will be booked under sections 125 and 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Section 125, which deals with acts endangering life or personal safety, carries a penalty of three months’ imprisonment or a fine of ₹2,500, or both, while section 281, which covers rash driving on a public way, attracts up to six months’ imprisonment or a fine of ₹1,000, or both.

The decision was taken by Gurugram police on January 2, making it the first district in Haryana to implement FIR-based action against wrong-side driving in view of the increasing menace. Following Gurugram police’s move, Delhi police also decided to book wrong-side drivers, announcing that similar enforcement has begun since January 3 after reviewing the Gurugram model.

Senior officials said chargesheets will be filed in such cases, and offenders will have to face court trials, removing the option of settling violations by paying fines either on the spot, through virtual courts or in Lok Adalats, which was the practice till now.

Sandeep Turan, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said a conviction could have long-term consequences for offenders. “Once FIR is registered and in case of conviction by court, it is going to make things tough for anyone aspiring for a government job, as the police verification report will not be positive, as it will carry details of the FIR along with the punishment,” he said.

On the timeline for implementation, officials said that awareness programmes are currently being carried out among residents and transport unions. After a fortnight, FIR-based enforcement will begin at Golf Course Road, the Delhi-Jaipur expressway, Dwarka expressway, Sohna Road and MG Road in the initial phase, before being expanded to other city roads.

Gurugram police commissioner Vikas Kumar Arora said the step was aimed at acting as a strong deterrent. “Their act to save a few minutes by driving in the wrong direction poses a grave danger to the lives of other commuters and residents on the city roads or the highways and expressway,” he said. Arora added that DCP (traffic) Rajesh Kumar Mohan will head the drive, while ACP (traffic headquarters) Satyapal Yadav will monitor its implementation. “We have seen at least a dozen fatal and non-fatal accidents in Gurugram in the last two years due to this menace. It needs to be tackled with an iron hand,” he said.

Mohan said 203,936 challans were issued for wrong-side driving in 2025, compared with 182,781 in 2024, while the figure was much lower in 2023. “Till now, first-time offenders were fined ₹500 and repeat offenders ₹1,500 under the Motor Vehicle Act. Now, with FIRs, violators will face court trials,” he said.

Traffic police officials said at least 560 offenders are caught daily, largely through cameras and ground teams. About 65% of challans are camera-generated. Twenty-eight hotspots have been identified, including the Dwarka expressway surface road, stretches of the Delhi-Jaipur expressway, Sohna Road and MG Road. Police said awareness drives are also being conducted with transport unions, noting that earlier enforcement largely focused on lane violations by heavy vehicles.