Pubs, Bars booked in Hyderabad after verifying that their customers were involved in drunk driving accidents.

Cases have been booked against six to seven pubs and bars by the Cyberabad police after verifying that their customers were involved in drunk driving accidents. These pubs, bars or restaurants are mostly located in the Madhapur and Gachibowli areas, said Cyberabad traffic DCP on Monday.

'In drunk driving accidents, particularly fatal ones, we launch a probe and backtrack to the place where they consumed alcohol,' said S. Vijay Kumar, the DCP of Cyberabad traffic police. 'We check if they had been to a bar, pub or a restaurant before the mishap and verify the same with bills, CCTV footage and also ascertain where they parked the vehicles involved in the accident. Based on all of these, a case is registered against the management,' explained the official.

Earlier this year on August 3, the Cyberabad police arrested Chaganla Suryanath, owner of Snort Pub, and manager Pranesh Herli on charges of abetment to culpable homicide, in connection with a drunken-driving accident at Kondapur. 'The pub had violated the dry day prohibition orders and served liquor,' said the police, who already arrested Abhishek Devarapally, who was reportedly driving the vehicle under influence of alcohol, and booked him under Section 304 of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

'The four friends gathered at the pub on Sunday night to celebrate International Friendship Day. After consuming liquor and food at the pub, they started towards home. Midway, Abhishek lost control and crashed into boulders. As the vehicle toppled several times, a girl Ashritha who was among the friends was thrown out of the vehicle, received multiple injuries and died on the spot, while another girl Taruni sustained severe injuries,' the police said.

Similarly, a pub in Madhapur



was booked after four individuals in a car were involved in an accident at Gachibowli, killing a girl. In another case, wherein four men crashed their car into a heavy vehicle in the financial district, the pub where they consumed alcohol was booked for the violation.

Meanwhile, the recent drive against drunk driving in the Cyberabad commissionerate saw one person being sentenced to 26 days, while one each were sent to jail for 18 days and 15 days respectively, even as two went to prison for 14 days. The drive that saw 45 persons caught by the Cyberabad traffic police on charges of drunk driving sent to jail for durations ranging from one day to 26 days from September 6 to 11. The court, which imposed a total fine of Rs 13.93 lakh on violators of the drunk driving rule, also slapped a total fine of Rs 3.48 lakh on those driving without a driving licence.

The driving licenses of all persons caught drunk were being sent to the Regional Transport Authority concerned for suspension, officials said. 'Drunk driving and driving by unauthorised persons have been major causes of road crashes and fatalities in Cyberabad. Hence, we have been taking stringent legal action against such violators,' said an official from Cyberabad traffic wing, adding that in view of the increasing number of road accidents due to drunk driving, the traffic police were acting strictly against drunk drivers.

The Cyberabad traffic police said those who caused fatal accidents, particularly under the influence of alcohol were being booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder as per Section 304 part II of the Indian Penal Code which would result in imprisonment of up to 10 years. Those who knowingly allowed or accompanied drunk drivers were also being prosecuted on charges of abetting the crime.