‘Wrath of the police falls on poor’: Chhattisgarh HC slams police for ‘stunts’ performed on national highway

The police told the court that it had registered cases under various provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and the vehicles had been impounded, recommending that the drivers’ licences of their owners be revoked.

The court ordered the police to take stricter action in the case. It also ordered that the 18 impounded cars should not be released without court’s permission, and asked Chhattisgarh’s chief secretary to update it with action taken in the case on September 23.

“It appears that the wrath of the police only falls upon the poor, middle-class and the downtrodden but when the culprit is an affluent person either in terms of muscle, money or political backing, the police authorities become toothless tiger and such offenders are let go off by paying meagre amount of money in terms of fine and their vehicles are also released and handed to the owners,” a Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Judge Bibhu Datta Guru said. “

Action taken in the current case was “merely an eye wash”.

It went on to say: “It is difficult to understand as to what restrains the police authorities to register offence under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 or under any other stringent laws against such offenders who endanger the life of other commuters by their irresponsible and negligent act. The action taken by the police against such hooligans should be such which may be a lesson for their life”.

This comes months after the court pulled up the state police for having failed to impound luxury cars that were allegedly parked illegally on National Highway-130 for a late-night photoshoot.