Hyderabad Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar on Sunday, October 26 said that drunk drivers should be treated as “terrorists.” He added that the city police have adopted a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy towards drunk drivers. There will be “no leniency, no exceptions, and no mercy,” he declared while responding to a forensic report confirming that the bike rider who caused the October 24 bus accident in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool was under the influence of alcohol.
The Commissioner said that the tragic bus accident, which claimed the lives of 19 people, was not an accident in the truest sense. “It was a preventable massacre, caused by the reckless and irresponsible behaviour of an intoxicated biker,” he wrote on X.
He added, “This was not a road mishap but a criminal act of negligence that annihilated entire families within seconds.”
On October 26, the forensic report confirmed that the deceased bike rider B Shiva Shankar was under the influence of alcohol. CCTV footage shows him refueling his motorcycle at 2.24 am, minutes before he lost control and caused the devastating collision at 2.39 am.
“His decision to drive drunk turned a moment of arrogance into a tragedy of unimaginable scale. I stand firmly by my statement that DRUNK DRIVERS ARE TERRORISTS in every sense. They destroy lives, families, and futures. Such acts will never be tolerated (sic).”
The Commissioner added that Hyderabad police have adopted a zero-tolerance stance against drunk driving. Every single person caught driving under the influence will face the “full force of law”, he said.
“There will be no leniency, no exceptions, and no mercy for those who endanger innocent lives. It’s time we, as a society, stop calling drunk driving a mistake. It is a crime that shatters lives and must be punished accordingly,” he further said.