Wrong side driving, triple-seat, no helmet: 10,000 vehicles challaned in Mumbai for flouting norms on Dahi Handi

Mint

13 hours ago

A day after the Dahi Handi festival, Mumbai Police on Sunday said that they have imposed challans on more than 10,000 vehicles with fines of over ₹ 1 crore for violation of traffic rules, PTI quoted officials as saying.
Held to mark the birth of Lord Krishna, the festival was celebrated on Saturday wherein a large number of troupes comprising young men and women formed human pyramids to break dahi handis (pots of curd) suspended in the air with ropes.
To participate in the festivities, people travelled in groups on two-wheelers and other vehicles. However, Mumbai police took action against people flouting norms during the festival and imposed fines.
The official added that the Mumbai Traffic Police issued a total of 10,051 spot e-challans with penalties of ₹ 1,13,57,250 on vehicles, which included fines for driving without a helmet, wrong-side driving, triple-seat driving and over-speeding.
He added that scanning of CCTV footage in various areas was underway and more challans will be issued electronically if violations are found.
Atleast two people died and more than 300 sustained injuries during the 'Dahi Handi' festival in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane city, PTI quoted civic officials as saying.
Out of the 318 persons injured in Mumbai, only 24, including a nine-year-old boy, have been hospitalised while the rest were discharged after treatment on Saturday. According to officials, the highest number of 135 people were injured during the festivities in the island city, followed by 111 and 72 in the western and eastern suburbs, respectively.
In the neighbouring Thane city, 22 participants were injured while attempting human pyramids, local civic body's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said.
Of them, 17 were admitted to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa, including some who suffered head injuries, shoulder dislocations, waist and chest injuries, he said.