The Punjab and Haryana High Court has termed drunken driving a “grave menace” that strikes at the root of societal order and warned that any leniency in such cases would embolden others to indulge in hazardous conduct. Justice Sumeet Goel made the strong observations while dismissing the bail plea of a 70-year-old truck driver accused of killing a young MBBS student in Patiala.
Rejecting the plea, the court stressed that drunken driving could not be treated as a mere lapse or mischief.
“A person who chooses to drive under the influence of alcohol does not merely endanger his own life but recklessly imperils the lives of innocent citizens using the road… undermining the very fabric of public safety and order,” the order noted.
The judge added that the law mandates strict treatment of such offences, and any relaxation would “send a wrong signal and embolden others to indulge in similar hazardous conduct.”
The case arose from a November 2023 incident when the accused, Jagtar Singh, allegedly drove his truck in a heavily drunken state on the Sangrur-Patiala road. The vehicle rammed into a parked car, killing the complainant’s 24-year-old son, a medical student, on the spot.
An FIR was registered at Pasyana police station under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Motor Vehicles Act. The prosecution has charged Singh under Section 304 IPC, emphasising culpable conduct rather than mere negligence.
Singh’s counsel argued that he had been in custody for over a year and that the FIR did not disclose any motive for intentionally striking the car. He also highlighted his advanced age.
The state, however, opposed the bail plea, submitting that the allegations were of a serious nature and that Singh could intimidate witnesses if released. The court noted that though the chargesheet had been filed, 15 prosecution witnesses were yet to be examined, and the apprehension of witness intimidation “cannot be brushed aside.”
Dismissing the petition, Justice Goel concluded that the truck driver did not deserve the concession of regular bail in light of the seriousness of the allegations and the overarching threat posed by drunken driving to public safety.
