Drunk drivers are terrorists, says India's Hyderabad police chief

Terming drunk drivers as terrorists who destroy families, Hyderabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar on Sunday warned that there will be zero tolerance for drunk driving.

Sajjanar, who is known for his strong stance against drunk drivers, issued a warning through a post on the social media platform 'X'.

He was reacting to Friday's bus fire tragedy near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, in which a drunk biker became the cause of the death of 19 passengers.

"Drunk drivers are terrorists. Period. Drunk drivers are terrorists, and their actions are nothing short of acts of terror on our roads. The horrific Kurnool bus accident, which claimed the lives of 20 innocent people, was not an accident in the truest sense. It was a preventable massacre, caused by the reckless and irresponsible behaviour of an intoxicated biker. This was not a road mishap but a criminal act of negligence that annihilated entire families within seconds," wrote the IPS officer.

"The biker, identified as B. Shiva Shankar, was reportedly under the influence of alcohol. CCTV footage shows him refuelling his motorcycle at 2.24am, minutes before he lost control and caused the devastating collision at 2.39am. His decision to drive drunk turned a moment of arrogance into a tragedy of unimaginable scale," reads the post.

"I stand firmly by my statement that DRUNK DRIVERS ARE TERRORISTS in every sense. They destroy lives, families, and futures. Such acts will never be tolerated. In Hyderabad, we are adopting a zero-tolerance stance against drunk driving. Every single person caught driving under the influence will face the full force of the law. There will be no leniency, no exceptions, and no mercy for those who endanger innocent lives. It’s time we, as a society, stop calling drunk driving a mistake. It is a crime that shatters lives and must be punished accordingly," added Sajjanar.

Meanwhile, Cyberabad traffic police said on Sunday that it conducted a special drunk driving enforcement drive over the weekend, resulting in the apprehension of 457 offenders.

A total of 346 riders of two-wheelers, 20 three-wheelers, 86 four-wheelers and five heavy vehicles were booked.

According to police, 399 offenders had Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)levels ranging from 35 mg/100 ml to 200 mg/100 ml, while 34 offenders had BAC levels ranging from 201 mg/100 ml to 300 mg/100 ml. Another 24 offenders had BAC levels ranging from 301 mg/100 ml to 550 mg/100 ml.

All the offenders will be produced before the court.

Cyberabad Police made it clear that if anyone is found to be driving in an inebriated condition and causes a fatal accident, such individuals will be booked under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The maximum punishment under this section is 10 years of imprisonment along with a fine.

Last week, a total of 336 drunk driving cases were disposed of in the courts, in which 317 people were penalised with a fine and 19 were sentenced to jail for one to two days. Another 23 persons were assigned to social services as part of the penalty.

Indo-Asian News Service