Youngsters zipping past rashly and negligently on their motorcycles on city roads and indulging in racing, much to the annoyance of other motorists, have begun to gain the attention of the Madras High Court. While granting bail to one such youth, the court on Thursday directed him to assist the ward boys at the trauma care centre at Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai for 30 days and pen down his experiences daily.
Justice G. Jayachandran directed the bail petitioner L. Praveen, serving as a cameraman in a film studio, to report before the duty doctor at the trauma care centre of the government hospital at 8 a.m., right from the next day of his release from prison, and start assisting the ward boys in taking care of the patients till 12 noon every day. The judge also directed him to submit to the duty doctor a one-page report about his experiences.
At the end of the 30th day, the Dean must forward all 30 reports to a Metropolitan Magistrate at George Town. Thereafter, the petitioner must appear before the investigating officer as and when required, the judge ordered. He also made it clear that the cameraman must execute a bond for ₹30,000 with two sureties before getting enlarged on bail and that one of those sureties must be either of his parents.
“This court is not oblivious of the fact that recently youngsters are riding their vehicles rashly causing terror in the minds of the road users, particularly the senior citizens. The pillion riders too create panic in the minds of the public by using metal rods to cause fire sparkles. The riders do wheeling and other adventures too,” the judge wrote after Government Advocate G.V. Kasthuri opposed the bail plea.
However, taking note that the petitioner was under incarceration for more than a week, the judge felt that his further detention was not necessary.
At the same time, to make him understand the pain and agony of motor accident victims, the judge imposed the novel condition of making him assist the ward boys of a trauma care centre and write his experiences over there on a daily basis. It was the case of the prosecution that four friends were found racing on two motorcycles and that the present petitioner was riding pillion on one of them.
According to the complainant A. Charles, a mechanic, the youngsters drove rashly from Stanley roundabout to Moolakothalam traffic signal around 9:30 p.m. on March 20, endangering the safety of other motorists on the road.
When the general public managed to trap the youngsters and questioned them for their act, they fled the scene. However, the mechanic had noted down their vehicle numbers and lodged a police complaint after which they were traced and arrested. The petitioner before the court claimed he was only riding pillion and did not indulge in any racing activity as alleged by the police.
