Gurgaon: Police have begun registering FIRs against motorists caught under the influence of alcohol, adding criminal cases to existing penalties such as challans, licence suspension and vehicle impoundment. The stricter enforcement, introduced last month, has already led to several FIRs being registered, though police said consolidated data is yet to be compiled.In the latest case, an FIR was registered against a 49-year-old man, Subhash, for driving with an alcohol level above the permissible limit. He was caught during an alcohol check drive at Sati Chowk on Friday.Police said ASI Vedpal and constable Navneet were deployed at the checkpoint when they stopped a black Maruti Brezza (HR26FW5295) approaching the barricade at high speed. The car was being driven negligently and recklessly. “A strong smell of alcohol came from the driver. When he took the test using an alco-sensor machine, the reading showed 335 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, nearly seven times above the legally permissible limit of 30 mg,” a cop said. A case was registered at Kherki Daula police station under sections 281 (rash driving) and 125 (acts done so rashly or negligently that they endanger human life or personal safety) of BNS and section 185 (driving or attempting to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs) of the Motor Vehicles Act. The vehicle was seized, police said.In cases of drunk driving, police earlier issued challans and suspended licences for three months, while vehicles were impounded only when alcohol levels exceeded the prescribed limit. Now, criminal cases will also be registered.Officials said the stricter action is aimed at deterring repeat offences and reducing road accidents linked to drunken driving.Police data shows that 26,122 challans for drunken driving were issued in the city last year. “This could be a major step to restrict drunk driving and save precious lives on the road. Such gross violations not only claim the life of the defaulter but also cause the death of others,” a police officer said.The crackdown is being carried out under the direction of Police Commissioner Vikas Arora and supervision of DCP (traffic) Rajesh Mohan, with traffic teams conducting regular checking drives across the city.The decision mirrors the police’s recent stance on wrong-side driving, particularly on highways and major arterial roads, where FIRs are now being filed more consistently. In Jan this year, city police has issued about 1.3 lakh traffic challans, including 1,314 for drunken driving and 11,731 for wrong-side driving.
