<p style=”text-align: justify; “>As many as 157 people including two women were challaned for drunk driving during a two-hour drive in Chandigarh on Wednesday night thus setting a new record for most challans for drunken driving in a single night. This is a huge jump from the previous record challans with April recording 147 challans.</p><p style=”text-align: justify;”>The nakas were set up at 13 locations in all four traffic zones central zone, east zone, south zone and south west zone. The nakas were laid under the close supervision of traffic marshals who monitored challan proceedings. The driving licences of all the 157 people were seized and submitted in the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) for further action.</p><p style=”text-align: justify; “>“The message has to reach home that Chandigarh is not the city for drunk drivers”, said Shashank Anand, SSP (traffic and security) Chandigarh. The drive against drunk driving will continue in the coming days he added. </p><p style=”text-align: justify;”>The vehicles of all the 157 challaned people were impounded on the spot and they were handed over to their guardians, parents and other known persons a senior traffic police officer said. </p><p style=”text-align: justify;”>According to the traffic police record, 4,150 people have been challaned in the past nine months in Chandigarh. According to Section 185 of Motor Vehicle (MV) Act, 1988, a challaned person for drunk driving shall be punishable for the first offence with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees, or with both.</p><p style=”text-align: justify;”>Further as per Sector 20 (2) of Motor Vehicle Act 1988, the driving licence of the challaned person shall be disqualified for a period of not less than six months. And under Section 22(2) of MV Act, 1988, if a person having been previously convicted of an offence punishable under section 185 is again convicted of an offence punishable under that section, the court, making such subsequent conviction, shall, by order, cancel the driving licence held by such person.</p>
