Order on teen 'traffic cop' stayed

The court fixes the next date of hearing on July 10 in the revision petition filed by the Delhi police, reports Naziya Alvi.

The court has stopped a teenage boy from managing traffic as part of punishment for drink-driving.

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Metropolitan Magistrate Gautam Manan had last week asked 19-year-old Deepak Gupta to help traffic police at the Kalkaji circle for three-and-a-half hours daily for 10 days. The Hindustan Times had reported Gupta’s first day of community service on Sunday.

On Monday, a sessions court stayed the magistrate’s order until July 10 after Delhi Police said that the punishment was “illegal and beyond the provisions of the law”.

The police said that as per IPC provisions, the punishment could be a term of six months or a fine of Rs 1,000 or both, whereas the magistrate had imposed a fine of Rs 3,000.

Arguing for the police, Chief Public Prosecutor BS Joon said, “The sentence of assisting traffic police is illegal and beyond the provisions of law and that regulating traffic required special training.”

On February 16, the police received a call that a car had turned turtle at D Block of Mayapuri. They found Gupta driving the car in an inebriated condition and booked him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicle Act.

Three months later, Gupta pleaded guilty and the court awarded him community service, which is common in western countries.
The sessions court has summoned the trial court records and sent a notice to Gupta, a resident of Sangam Vihar.