HYDERABAD: Convicted on charges of drunk driving, as many as 35 persons were asked to do social service as a punishment on Tuesday.
The third and fourth Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Erramanzil directed the offenders to serve the community for three hours a day for three days. This is the first time, such a large number of violators were awarded social service as punishment. Besides, the courts also imposed fines up to `2,000 on all the 60 violators.
Welcoming the judgment, additional commissioner (Traffic) Jitender said such a positive initiative will lead to correctional aspect than punishing the offenders. “Through social service, they will realise their mistake and also help spread the message that drunken driving is not safe for the rider as well as for those on the streets,” he said.
These convicted offenders will now be seen regulating traffic at important junctions assisting the traffic police. They will also be assigned with the task of creating awareness through educational campaigns and material distribution. “We have deviced a plan for each traffic police station where these violators would be assigned to. Without causing inconvenience to their regular work, they could come and do the social service of three hours for three days,” said the traffic commissioner.
The violators sent for social service would have to report at the particular traffic police station they are assigned to, collect the assignment and material and report back after three hours, while the traffic policemen on duty would also monitor their activities. It is learnt that while the permissible limit of alcohol content in one’s blood remains 30mg per litre of blood, those who have been awarded social service had the blood alcohol content (BAC) between 31 and 100 mgpl. Those who had more than 100 mgpl were sent to prison.
The court sentenced 21 others to imprisonment till rising of the courts for the same offence. It also awarded jail terms to four persons with an imprisonment ranging from two to five days.