TIRUCHY: Balamurugan had no inkling of what awaited him as he was produced before the authorities in connection with a drink and drive case. He was expecting a hefty penalty for the offence, but the punishment was a one novel - the Juvenile Justice Board ordered him to regulate traffic on city roads for two days. So novel that Balamurugan would not forget the lessons for the rest of his life.
C Balamurugan (19), a resident of KK Nagar, along with five others suffered severe injuries after the two-wheeler he was riding met with an accident in Kattur limits in 2018.
Apparently he was under the influence of alcohol. As he was a juvenile at the time of the accident, the case was transferred to the Juvenile Justice Board.
Following the hearing, Principal Magistrate B Sumathy Nagarajan on January 20 ordered him to regulate traffic for two days as punishment.
On Friday, hundreds of motorists passing through MGR roundabout were greeted by the unfamiliar sight of a teenager in fluorescent jacket regulating traffic along with a police officer.
Sources said this is the first time in Tiruchy such a punishment has been given for traffic violation.
“Balamurugan would regulate traffic on January 24 and 25 in two shifts - from 9 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm. This kind of punishment is a welcome move as it could instantly provide awareness among the public about the dangers of riding under the influence of alcohol and how tough it is manage unruly riders,” said a police officer.
When TNIE spoke to Balamurugan on how he felt regulating traffic for a day in Tiruchy city, he groaned, “A lot of vehicles on the road do not obey rules and create confusion. I now understand how frustrating it could be for the police to manage vehicles when they do not follow rules. Trying to regulate traffic has taught me a big lesson and I will make sure I will ride properly on the city roads hereafter.”
A few police officers who accompanied him during the day said that on several occasions they had to calm Balamurugan down as he became frustrated with a few vehicles not obeying rules and causing snarls on the roads.