In notice to police over drunk driving, DCW seeks to know steps taken to curb menace

The Delhi Commission for Women on Saturday issued a notice to the city traffic police on the issue of drunk driving, seeking to know the steps taken by it to curb the menace.

The panel has asked the police to respond to its queries by Tuesday.

The DCW notice mentioned the Kanjhawala accident in which a woman was killed after being dragged by a car for 12 kilometres and said that it was learnt that the accused were heavily drunk. It also referred to the panel’s chairperson Swati Maliwal being harassed and allegedly dragged by a car driven by a man in an inebriated state.

In the notice, the commission stated that drunk driving is not only one of the most common causes of accidents but also poses a huge threat to women’s safety.

“This menace needs to be stopped urgently. The commission also raised the issue of Delhi Police stopping usage of breath analysers for identifying drunk drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” it stated.

To examine the steps taken by the Delhi Police to counter drunk driving, the DCW has launched an enquiry into the issue and has sought the police’s response.

In the notice, the commission asked whether the use of breath analysers has been resumed and if not then why. The Delhi Commission for Women has also asked the police to furnish the number of functional breath analyser machines available with it.

The DCW also sought to know the number of challans issued by the Delhi Police for drunk driving since 2017 and especially the number of such challans issued on December 31, 2022, between 6 pm to 9 am.

The panel’s chief Swati Maliwal said, “One of the major findings of my night vigil the other day was that the brazenness with which people in Delhi are drinking and driving, raising serious security concerns for women.”

“This needs to be checked urgently. I have issued a notice to Delhi Traffic Police to ascertain the steps they have taken to check this menace, especially after Anjali’s murder on the roads of Delhi by five drunk men,” she said.