Drunk drivers may get 7 yrs jail in accident

Vadodara: Next time you drive under the influence of alcohol and cause an accident injuring somebody grievously, chances are high that you may get a jail term of up to seven years instead of two years.
Vadodara rural police have now started booking drivers for an attempt to culpable homicide for causing a grievous injury accident and for culpable homicide for causing a fatal accident under the influence of alcohol. On Sunday, a car driver was booked for attempt to culpable homicide as he knocked down a motorcyclist in Savli. The motorcyclist suffered serious injuries and had to be shifted to Vadodara for treatment. Police said that the car driver Gangdas Patel’s vehicle, too, suffered damages as it rammed into a tree. Patel had consumed alcohol and was not even in a condition to stand properly, cops said.
“If any person consumes alcohol and drives vehicle during which an accident occurs, we are booking them either under attempt to culpable homicide or culpable homicide not amounting to murder because they know that their act will cause death,” said superintendent of police Dr Sudhir Desai. He added that in the recent past they have registered such cases at Karjan police stations as well.
Earlier, the accused used to be booked under Section 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code in case of a grievous injury accident or Section 304-A (causing death due to negligence) in case of a fatal accident. The maximum punishment under both sections are up to two years or fine or both and is triable by a judicial magistrate. While in case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and attempt to culpable homicide, the punishments are up to 10 years and seven years respectively along with a fine. The trial is conducted by a sessions court in such cases.
“Consumption of alcohol is illegal in Gujarat, yet if somebody drives under the influence of alcohol, the person is not in a capacity to judge the circumstances around him or her. So the person, despite being aware of that fact that driving under the influence of alcohol can lead to accident, still drinks and drives and causes accident can be booked under Section 308 or 304 of the IPC,” said Vadodara district government pleader Anil Desai.