Drunk drivers add to menace of road accidents in Delhi: Court

Drunk drivers add to the growing menace of road accidents in Delhi, a city court said today as it refused to quash a seven-day jail term awarded to a man for the offence and jumping a traffic light.
Additional Sessions Judge Sanjeev Kumar made the observation while dismissing the 32-year-old man's appeal against the order convicting and sentencing him of offences under the Motor Vehicle (MV) Act.
"The appellant was sentenced for seven days simple imprisonment and fine of Rs 2,000 for offence under section 185 (drunken driving) of the MV Act.
"The menace of road accidents in Delhi is increasing day by day and such grim scenario, the driving of persons who are drunken to the extent at this case in hand only adds to an already acute problem," the judge observed.

The court also relied on the breath analyser report that found 340 mg alcohol per 100 ml blood in his body which was more than the permissible limit of 30mg/100ml.
"Having considered the quantity of alcohol in the blood of the appellant as found in breath analyser test, I am of the view that the Metropolitan Magistrate had rightly sentenced the man for the offence," the judge said.

According to the prosecution, Amit Kumar, a south Delhi resident, was found driving his two-wheeler on September 26, 2014 in a drunken condition and had jumped a traffic signal.
He was chased by the traffic police who conducted a breath analyser test that revealed he was heavily drunk, it said, adding that Kumar also failed to produce the registration papers of his vehicle and a driving licence.

A case was registered against him and a magisterial court in March last year convicted him and awarded him the sentence.
Challenging the orders, the man claimed he was not a previous offender and sought leniency on the ground that he was suffering from spinal injuries.