Drunk drivers are like suicide bombers, says sessions court

‘Consequences of their actions fall on innocent road users’

Observing that “drunk drivers are no less than suicide bombers”, a sessions court maintained the five -day jail term for a drunk driver.

“Drunken driving is not just a prescribed offence but a severe social menace. A person driving vehicle after consumption of liquor puts not only his own life at risk but also plays with the lives of others on the roads,” District and Sessions Judge Girish Kathpalia said.

Holds up jail term

“Consequences of such accidents fall on innocent road users and their families, and even the families of the driver who drives in drunken condition. Such drivers on roads are no less than the suicide bombers,” he stated.

The Judge made the comments while dismissing the appeal of convict, Sachin Kumar, against a Metropolitan Magistrate court order sentencing him to the five days’ jail term and suspension of his driving licence for six months.

The appellant had sought release on probation. He did not challenge his conviction as he had confessed to the charge of driving the vehicle under the influence of alcohol before the Metropolitan Magistrate court.

‘A sip of beer’

He further submitted that he had only taken a sip of beer and was not told by his previous counsel about the consequences of pleading guilty.

The court rejected his argument. “I find it unbelievable that by mere sip of beer, the presence of alcohol in the body can be as high as 168.7 mg per 100 ml,” the Judge said. According to the prosecution, the alcohol content in his blood was found to be three times the permissible limit of 30 mg alcohol per 100 ml blood.