'Licence details' initiative of rash drivers in FIRs turns an eyewash

The initiative of the police to tighten the noose around rash drivers by mentioning details of driving licences of such drivers in the first information report (FIR) regarding road crashes leading to death or injuries, has turned an eyewash.

The initiative of the police to tighten the noose around rash drivers by mentioning details of driving licences of such drivers in the first information report (FIR) regarding road crashes leading to death or injuries, has turned an eyewash. No such information of driving licence of the accused driver has been included in the FIRs despite an official circular released during August last year which mandated to mention the details in FIRs.

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Hindustan Times has accessed two such FIRs of road crashes in which seven persons died and four injured on various occasions in the district but there was no any mention of licence details.

On January 2 morning, a rashly driven truck ran over six people, mostly migrants from Uttar Pradesh, near Kahnpur village on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway as they were trying to cross the road to board an auto-rickshaw on the other side of the road.

A case was registered against accused truck driver Baldev Singh, a resident of Fatehgarh Sahib, who fled from the spot, but was later on arrested and a case was registered against him under various sections of the IPC at Maqsudan police station which comes into jurisdiction of Jalandhar rural police. But there are no any detail of his licence.

Ranjeet was booked under sections 304-A (causing death by negligence), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code. In this FIR also, there are no such details.

When contacted, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Rahul S said, "It was a good initiative to include details of driving licences of rash drivers in FIRs and claimed, "I will again issue orders to all station house officers (SHOs) and officials concerned of the department in this respect." Superintendent of police (D) (rural police) Rajinder Singh did not respond to the calls made by this correspondent.

The earlier order to include such details was issued by then police commissioner Gaurav Yadav and SSP (rural) Yurinder Singh Hayre.