Bhayandar: In a significant judgement aimed at curbing drunken driving, the court of First Class Judicial Magistrate, Thane, awarded seven days simple imprisonment to an auto driver who was found to be under the influence of alcohol while driving in Bhayandar. The culprit, identified as Dayakant Jha (44), was caught by on-duty traffic police personnel during routine vigilance near the Golden Nest circle in Bhayandar (east). After being tested positive with a count of alcohol much above the permissible level, the offender was taken into custody and booked under section 185 (driving by a drunken person) of the Motor Vehicle Act.
Observing that the offender not only risked his own life by driving in a drunken state, but also posed a threat to the lives of others including his passengers, the court sent him to jail for seven days. "Such punishments will definitely deter such violations. Drive against drunken drive and other traffic violations is being taken up regularly," said Senior Police Inspector ( Traffic) Anil Pawar. Earlier, the courts convicted such offenders and detained them in court all day till judicial working hours, imposed fines and suspended licences.
–Suresh Golani
