TIRUNELVELI: A road accident case registered against a car driver was altered to a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder on Thursday, after the police confirmed that he was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
The police said that on Tuesday night (September 23), Sivakumar of Vannarapettai, along with Subbaiah (47) of Meenatchipuram, was riding a two-wheeler on Tirunelveli-Sankarankovil Road, when a car driven by Lawrence (52) of Sankarankovil hit their vehicle in the Manur police limits. Lawrence fled the scene without stopping. Subbaiah, who sustained grievous injuries, died the following day.
During the investigation, the police found that Lawrence was driving under the influence of alcohol and altered the case to include Section 105 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the BNS, 2023, which they said could get him up to 10 years of imprisonment. Later, Lawrence was arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
“So far this year, eight such accidents leading to deaths have been altered to culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Similarly, 16 incidents causing injuries have been booked as attempts to commit culpable homicide, attracting up to seven years of imprisonment and penalty,” said the police, adding that harsher provisions are included as drunk drivers knowingly endanger the lives of others. SP N Silambarasan appealed to the public to refrain from driving under the influence of alcohol, stressing that it poses a danger to both self and others.
Meanwhile, in Tenkasi, a government school teacher, Ali Sheik, was recently arrested for giving his motorcycle to a 16-year-old boy, who hit a 60-year-old man, killing the latter.