A Reddit user from Gurugram claimed he was fined ₹1,000 by police for drinking alcohol while seated in his car, even though he was not driving it.
In the post – titled “Drinking and driving in Gurgaon…my car got pulled over by the cops last night”, the user narrated the sequence of events. He claimed that the police pulled over his vehicle while he was heading home from a party.
The man said, “So my car got pulled over by the cops last night, I was completely sozzled….BUT i was NOT driving.”
He further added, “My personal driver/chauffer (employee) was driving, and I was sitting in the back seat, they checked him several times and he was completely sober as he was on duty. “
Even though no alcohol was found in the car and the driver was fit to drive, the police still charged him ₹1,000 for being an intoxicated passenger, he claimed.
The Reddit user alleged, “They checked the car for any open alcohol (none) as I was returning from a party. They made me shell out 1K, for being drunk.” The man ended his post with the comment, “Sorry if it isn’t making sense, I have a splitting headache just now.”
Also Read: Delhi traffic police issue 7,230 fines on Holi, drink driving cases drop
Reddit post goes viral
The post went viral, with a user commenting, “The cops in Gurgaon are not used to encountering sensible people who take help from Drivers after being drunk at bars. They probably had no idea what to do and were caught as much off-guard as you. They did their best in the moment.”
A different user questioned, “You gave 1k for what? What did the police accuse you of?”
One user also replied,”I was drinking a little and was pulled over in Gurgaon. I said I was drinking and I had no money, they took a picture of my number plate and phone screen, and told me, you can go! I doubt I got anything online. Who pays for drinking while sitting in the backseat? I think the cops scammed you.”
Another Reddit user wrote,”They extorted you, my man! Thank you for being responsible!”
According to the law, driving under the influence of alcohol/mind-bending drugs or intoxicated is an offence under section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act. The imprisonment penalty for first offenders is 6 months in jail and/or a fine of 10K, Second time offenders may face two years in jail and/or 10K, But that is For a driver only.