In a first, drunk driver gets 10 days in jail

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Cracking down on drunken driving, a city court has, for the first time, convicted a repeat offender to 10 days in jail. Judge N.G. Dinesh of the Metropolitan Magistrate Court sent M. Kishore, a resident of Ranganathapura, to jail after taking note that Kishore had been booked for the same offence thrice.

The traffic police had referred this case to the court after Kishore was found driving under the influence of alcohol on the night of June 20 in Upparpet police limits.

When the traffic police checked their data, they found that the car (KA 04 MA 5461) had been booked for drunken driving on April 20 and June 5.

The police had told the court that Kishore was also driving his car dangerously when he was caught the third time for drunk driving. On the previous occasion, he did not have his driver’s licence with him.

The judge noted that ignorance of law excuses no men. “Traffic management is a major concern in a city like Bengaluru where lakhs of vehicles ply on the road round the clock. Carelessness on the part of a driver would not only affect his life but also those of others,” the judge observed. Quoting a Supreme Court order, Judge Dinesh said that drunk driving is a major concern and the court has to take into consideration social interest “for award of appropriate sentence.”