The district police have been taking many initiatives to reduce the number of road accidents and ensure road safety.
As a step in that direction and in a move that is considered a deterrence, the police are registering cases under IPC Section 304 Part II against vehicle owners who allow minors to ride/drive motorcycles/cars and cause death of persons in road accidents. Recently, the police arrested Yagati Rambhai, a resident of Indira Nagar in the town, for allowing a 17-year-old boy to drive her vehicle and causing the death of Jami Sambasiva Rao (70) in an accident near Ramalaxmana Junction.
‘Serious offence’
The police are also acting tough against autorickshaw drivers if they allow anybody to sit beside them.
The case in point was the arrest of G. Ganga Rao on the charge of causing the death of Muddada Vasubabu, 17, who was seated along with him in the front seat.
“It is a serious offence on the part of the driver to allow anyone to sit along with him as he may lose control over the vehicle,” say the police.
Usually, road accident cases come under IPC Section 338, under which a person can be imprisoned up to two years. The jail term is confined to two years if a person causes death of several people in the accident.
Taking the violation of norms seriously, SP C.M. Trivikram Varma and DSP (Traffic) Ch. Penta Rao have directed the arrest of the accused under Section 304 Part II, which says that “the act is done with the knowledge that it is likely to cause death, but without intention to cause death.” Under the Section, the jail term can be up to 10 years. In all, 10 cases have been registered under the Section in the last two months.
Drunk driving cases
“We have decided to invoke the provisions of the Section in drunk driving cases too. Those who drive vehicles after consumption of alcohol know very well that their act could lead to the death of innocent persons. We will invoke this Section after conformation of alcohol content in their blood samples. We will use the reports of the Forensic Science Laboratory for evidence in court,” Mr. Penta Rao told The Hindu .
“Director-General of Police N. Sambasiva Rao has given clear instructions not to spare anyone for causing death in road accidents. We hope the cases would act as a deterrence and make people follow traffic rules and regulations,” he said.
Mr. Penta Rao further said that vehicles would be seized if minors were found to be driving them. Representatives of school and college managements, apart from parents, would be summoned and warned against allowing children to drive vehicles.
Awareness camps
“We are also conducting awareness camps in colleges to highlight the latest rules and regulations that are aimed at minimising road accidents and saving precious lives,” he said.
Lauding the initiatives, senior advocate Kantubhukta Srinivasa Rao said: “IPC 304 Part II is being used in many cases in India. Actor Salman Khan was also booked under the Section in the past.”
