Hyderabad: City police’s special drive on New Year’s Eve led to a record number of drunk driving cases, surpassing figures from other major Indian cities.
Over 3,000 cases of drunk driving were registered in Hyderabad, that is about three times higher than those reported in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru combined.
Delhi Police issued around 495 challans for drinking and driving, while Mumbai police had 283 people booked for similar offences during the New Year celebrations. Bengaluru Police registered 330 cases and Hyderabad police over 3,000.
The spike in cases in Hyderabad was a result of a special drive by the police. They set up checkpoints and conducted breathalyzer tests starting from 8 pm on December 31 and continued till early on January 1.
The consequences for those caught in Hyderabad during this time are severe. Instead of Rs 2,600 first-time offenders will now face a fine of Rs 10,000 fine and imprisonment of up to six months, while repeat offenders could be fined Rs 15,000 and face imprisonment for up to two years.
Given the high number of offenders, the Hyderabad police will collect an estimated Rs 3 crore in fines in drunk driving cases filed on the New Year’s Eve.
