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Drunk driver escaped nakabandis; cops say can't prevent all mishaps
Lalit Sharma, the 24-year-old MBA graduate who ran over two pedestrians in Andheri (East) on Sunday night under the influence of alcohol, got past the Mumbai traffic police's drink driving check posts by a few kilometers. However, during his custodial interrogation, Sharma claimed to have had only one beer before the mishap.
Lalit Sharma, the 24-year-old MBA graduate who ran over two pedestrians in Andheri (East) on Sunday night under the influence of alcohol, got past the Mumbai traffic police's drink driving check posts by a few kilometers. However, during his custodial interrogation, Sharma claimed to have had only one beer before the mishap.
"We had nakabandis in place at several spots in Andheri (East) between 11pm and 1am when the accident took place. However, the Vijay Nagar area did not have a check post that night since we randomly choose the spots. There were nakabandis at Chakala and several places nearby," said G Giri, regional assistant commissioner of police (traffic).
Giri admitted that although the traffic police organise regular nakabandis to keep drink driving incidents in check, it is not possible to prevent every such instance. "Several people are caught during each nakabandi for drink driving. However, despite the measures we take, not every nook and corner can be manned. People have to be more responsible," he said.
The police said Sharma was arrested under IPC sections 279 for rash driving, 304 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act for driving under the influence of alcohol.
"Sharma's preliminary medical examination has confirmed that he was driving under the influence of alcohol. His blood report is awaited. After being produced before a metropolitan court on Monday, he was remanded in police custody till August 1," said Suresh Hujband, senior inspector of the MIDC police.
Sharma, however, has claimed that he had consumed only one beer before the accident during his custodial interrogation.
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