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25–year–old loses driving licence after being caught driving drunk on Gandhiji’s death anniversary
Most Mumbaikars are aware that driving after even one drink can land one in ‘Big’ police trouble. But as 25–year–old executive SR Parekh will tell you, drunk driving can be even more dangerous on a dry day, especially if it is the death anniversary of the Father of the Nation – Mahatma Gandhi. Parekh was sentenced to six months imprisonment (the most severe sentence for drunk driving yet) and his driving licence suspended for life after he was caught driving drunk on January 30.

According to traffic police, Parekh was driving his car in a drunken state near Kalbadevi, when he was caught by the traffic police during a routine drive on the night of January 30. Police found Parekh sloshed and arrested him. He was presented at the Girgaum court the next day where he was sentenced to six months imprisonment and his driving licence suspended forever.

What went against Parekh was the fact that he was a repeat offender and that he had chosen to repeat his offence on Gandhiji’s death anniversary. Parekh had earlier been arrested for the same offence at Borivli on New Year’s Eve. At the time the court had sentenced him to a two–day prison term and suspended his licence for six months besides imposing a fine of Rs 2,000. A traffic policeman said, “He had not learnt his lesson from the previous punishment and was in fact driving without his licence as it had been suspended earlier.”

DCP, traffic, Harish Baijal confirmed that the local court had sentenced Parekh to six months in jail. He said, “It is a pity that people do not hesitate to drink even on a dry day – that too when it is the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi." The traffic police have been constantly conducting drives for the past two years to discourage people from driving under the influence of alcohol and intensified it recently. Surprisingly, on January 30, Parekh had 83 partners in crime.

“It is surprising that even on a dry day so many people were caught driving drunk. It also speaks of a flourishing illegal trade in liquor. We will try to find out who are these people who have been selling liquor on dry days,” said a senior police officer.


Source: http://epaper.timesofindia.com