The Bengaluru traffic police have booked the driver of a car involved in an incident where a young boy, who had his head outside the vehicle’s sunroof, was hit by a traffic barrier meant to block heavy vehicles.
The video of the incident on September 7, where a young boy seemingly suffered a heavy blow to his head as the car he was travelling in went under the traffic barrier on the GKVK Road in the Vidyaranyapuram area of North Bengaluru, went viral on social media.
The incident drew widespread criticism on account of the negligence of the parents of the boy, who had allowed him to stand in the car with his head outside the sunroof.
The traffic police tracked down the owner of the car, identified as K M Kitty, based on the car’s registration plate visible in the video. The police also registered a case on September 8 against the driver under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita clauses of 125 (a) for a rash or negligent act that endangers human life or the safety of others, and under Section 281 for rash driving.
The police found that the boy involved in the incident had not suffered any serious injuries, and did not require to be taken to a hospital. The Yelahanka traffic police, who have taken up a case, have reported after speaking to the car owner that the child “has not suffered harm in any way”.
“The child did not have to be taken to the hospital and is comfortable at his home,” states the police FIR, which recommends penal action against the car driver.
Last year, a resident of K R Puram in East Bengaluru was fined ₹1,000 for letting his children stick their heads out of the sunroof while driving his car on the Marathahalli main road. A fellow motorist captured the incident and posted it on social media, tagging the police.
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The video prompted swift action from the HAL Traffic Police Station, which traced the vehicle owner and imposed a fine for “rash and negligent” driving.
The traffic police had issued a warning at the time against allowing passengers to stick their bodies out of the sunroofs of moving vehicles.