Cyberabad cops to intensify drive against drunken driving

Police have decided to tighten the drive against drunken driving in Cyberabad following last week’s attempt by a group of youngsters to kidnap a girl from the University of Hyderabad campus.

Sources in the department said a directive was issued to further intensify the drive soon after the incident.

The police officials, however, pointed out that they had been conducting the drive in Cyberabad limits for some time now and there was nothing much to read in the latest development.

“We take cases of drunken driving very seriously. This (drive) will be taken up every day and right now, almost 7-8 cases are booked at every police station regularly,” explained a senior police official on condition of anonymity.

According to him, the drive would be intensified during weekends. The five youngsters, accused in the attempted kidnap case, were allegedly in an inebriated condition at the time of the assault.

Several students, who rescued the girl in question, told City Express that the five were drunk and blamed the security guards for letting them inside the campus.

Many girls on the campus are furious that drunken boys were being let off easily and felt that something had to be done to dispel the notion that the university was “safe” for boozing on weekends.

“If youngsters can come into the university in an inebriated condition just like that, it shows the appalling conditions here,” said Promit M, a student of UoH.

The isolated and vast open space in the university is considered a “perfect getaway” for youngsters to booze and have “fun”, several girls complained.

“Many go out at night to drink, and even drunk people come into the university at night. It is like a haven for them. Many are out on vehicles as well,” said a student who wished to remain anonymous.

As for the police, one official said they were doing their best by levying hefty fines, seizing vehicles and conducting counselling for the culprits.

“We conduct counselling so that the offenders do not repeat the same. The fine amounts are also very high, and we will also tighten our enforcement,” he said.

Although he did not specify whether checks will be increased near UoH, he mentioned that there were ‘special orders’, which hinted that the incident may have led to the issuing of the order.