HC SEEKS GOVT REPLY ON PLEA FOR STRICT LAW ON ROAD RAGE

The Delhi high court on Tuesday issued notice to the Central government on a petition filed in public interest seeking direction that offence of road rage should be made non-bailable with rigorous imprisonment.

The plea filed by Anubhav Gupta, a law student in University of Delhi, also asked court to give proper definition of road rage which it said was presently a lacuna in the law.

Gupta sought direction to the government to draft proper set of guidelines to curb nuisance of road rage and the guidelines so that they act as deterrent to possible offenders.

As per National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 8,57,995 cases of crimes against body were registered under various sections of Indian Penal Code during 2015, out of which cases of causing injuries due to rash driving or road rage accounted for 52.6% of total 4,51,069 cases.

“The offence of road rage should be made non-bailable, cognizable and serve with rigorous imprisonment when the magnitude of harshness exceeds to despicable levels. Exemplary penal fines should be levied on offenders,” Gupta said in his petition.

The plea also sought direction for Centre to impart and inculcate awareness among people of hazards and consequences of the road rage.

“Authorities and all stakeholders have been maintaining a lax and indifferent attitude towards this menace, neither Delhi police nor any state level or Union-level transport ministry or any other authority responsible has taken preventive steps to curb this rising nuisance,” the petition said.

“It is also important to note that only prosecution of offenders in not acting as a deterrent to have a check on these rising number, What more required is preventive steps to be taken,” it added.

The high court put the case for further hearing on November 28.