Wrong-side driving can attract FIRs in Gurugram

The police have decided to register FIRs against people found driving on the wrong side of the road in the city, under Section 279 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that pertains to rash driving

The police have decided to register FIRs against people found driving on the wrong side of the road in the city, under Section 279 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that pertains to rash driving. Following the decision, the police on Tuesday registered FIRs against a man and a woman in Sector 5 and Sector 40, respectively.

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The police said that since January 1, more than 20 people have been injured and 16 have died in accidents that were caused by wrong-side driving.

Police commissioner KK Rao said they have started a drive against wrong-side driving and anyone found violating the rules will face criminal charges. “The incidents of wrong-side driving are increasing across the city, leading to accidents, but the drivers do not take the issue seriously as they were only given challans till now. The drivers who take short routes to save time often end up speeding. Rash driving suspects will now be booked under the IPC and criminal proceedings will be initiated against them,” he said.

The police said that even if personnel are not deployed on a particular stretch, criminal cases may be filed through random checking of CCTV cameras.

According to the police, the collision took place around 6pm, when Ritik Singh, a first-year student of a private college in the city, was returning to his residence in Civil Lines. After the collision with the car, he fell on the road due to the impact and suffered severe injuries, said police.

The police said that Singh called his brother and informed them about the accident. In the meantime, three men in the car, who were allegedly inebriated, threatened him not to report the incident to police and fled the spot, leaving him bleeding. His brother took him to a private hospital and informed the police.

Singh said he took down the registration number of the car and shared it with the police, following which a case was registered. “The men removed my motorbike from the spot and parked it near the bushes to mislead police. The car was speeding and the driver, talking to his friends, did not even notice me and rammed my motorbike,” he said.

A case under sections 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 427 (mischief causing damage) of the IPC was registered against them at the Sector 5 police station. Police said the car has been traced to a resident of Charki Dadri.

In another incident, a 67-year-old woman was injured after a speeding i10 being driven on the wrong side of the road hit her while she was walking outside her house in Sector 40 on Tuesday evening.

The victim, identified as Neelam Malhotra, was rushed to a private hospital in Sector 31 and had suffered injuries. The passersby caught hold of the woman driver and informed the police but before the team could reach the spot, the suspect fled the spot.

A case under sections 279 (rash driving) and 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC was registered at the Sector 40 police station.

The driver has been identified but is yet to be arrested, said police.

Rao said that teams have been directed to conduct investigations and file the challans against the suspects, at the earliest, in court. “The suspects will face trials in court and might get six-month imprisonment along with a fine. Even if the violators are not responsible for accidents, they will be booked as it could be the likely cause of the accident,” he said.