Now Even Passengers Can Be Booked If The Driver Of The Car Is Drunk

Admin 26-Sep-2016 13:09:22 Inothernews

Now Even Passengers Can Be Booked If The Driver Of The Car Is Drunk


If the driver of your car is drunk and has caused a fatal accident, the law says you can be booked with the same charges as the driver as well as an extra charge: Section 109 of the Indian Penal Code which deals with abetting a crime. The Chennai Traffic Police say that the passenger is abetting the crime even if he is not directly committing it. While advocates specialising in road accidents say that this is not fair as the passenger was not the one behind the wheel, in the latest incident involving national racing champion Vikas Anand and his friend T Charankumar, both have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder.



"The car was owned by Charan. Even if he was not driving the car, he had the knowledge - that his friend was drunk and this could lead to accidents," said advocate at the Madras high court V Kannadasan.

T Charankumar, in his bail petition to the traffic police, said he was innocent as he was not driving. "The petitioner submits that he is innocent of the alleged offence and he did not drive the car and the car was driven by his friend Anand Vikas and he was only the co-passenger," read the petition.

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In a similar accident in February, both the driver and passenger - Mohammad Safiq and Mohammad Farook - were arrested for culpable homicide not amounting to murder when their car rammed a two-wheeler while travelling at a high speed.

While TOI couldn't reach the accident's investigative officer for a comment, an officer at the Anna Square police station where the case was registered said: "The passenger was fully aware of the fact that his friend was drunk and still let him drive the car. He should be held equally responsible".

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