Chennai Police collect Rs 4 crore fine in drunk driving cases in a week

The Chennai Police announced in a press release that they have collected a fine of over Rs 4 crore in drunk driving (DD) cases. A special drive was conducted from February 19 to February 25, to inform violators about the pending DD cases through call centres located at 10 places across the city and to ask them to visit a call centre to dispose of their cases. 

As the fine amount is high at Rs 10,000, many violators do not pay the fine though intimation is received on their mobile numbers from the e-court system, the police said, adding that there are as many as 7334 DD cases pending disposal.

Police said that 545 violators came to the call centres and paid their fine amount through online payment facilities. In the special drive, 736 cases were disposed and Rs 76,74,500 were paid by the violators. In a similar drive conducted last month, 3376 cases were disposed and a fine amount of Rs 3,49,38,500 was paid by the violators through call centres. 

“Thus in the fifth week, as many as 4112 pending DD cases were disposed and a fine amount of Rs.4,26,13,000/- was realised through call centres. This special drive on disposal of DD cases through call centres will continue in future also,” police said.

Police have also issued a warning to violators that if the fine amount is not paid, warrants will be obtained from courts to attach movable property. A total of 347 warrants have been issued by courts for attachment of property in lieu of fine amount and they are under process, police said. 

“Effective enforcement of MV (Motor Vehicles) Act helps in reducing road traffic accidents. Drunken driving is one of the major reasons responsible for fatal accidents. Hence deterrent penalty is provided in the law for drunken driving,” police said.