Karnataka HC calls for tougher laws to curb 'wheeling' on roads
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka High Court has raised serious concerns over the lack of specific legal provisions to deal with the growing menace of 'wheeling', and has called for tougher laws to curb it.
Wheeling is a dangerous stunt where two-wheeler riders lift the front wheel while driving.
Justice V. Srishananda, while hearing a bail plea, observed that current laws fall short of effectively deterring such behavior.
Presently, individuals performing wheeling can only be charged under provisions related to negligent or rash driving, which are bailable offences.
Justice Srishananda noted that these provisions are inadequate for law enforcement to take stringent action against such hazardous acts.
"At the time of enacting the Motor Vehicles Act, perhaps the lawmakers did not envisage a situation where a two-wheeler would be driven on the rear wheel alone," he said.
Given the sharp rise in such stunts, the Court called on the State to enact tougher laws targeting wheeling.
"In light of the alarming increase in such incidents, it is the bounden duty of the State and enforcement agencies to introduce necessary statutory provisions and adopt stringent measures to suppress this dangerous trend," the judge stated.
The Court highlighted that the act of wheeling not only endangers the lives of riders and pillion passengers but also poses a grave threat to public safety.
"Young motorcyclists wrongly equate wheeling with bravery, unaware of the life-threatening consequences. This reckless behaviour disrupts public order and peace," the court noted.
The court said this while rejecting a bail application filed by a man accused of performing wheeling on a motorcycle with two pillion riders in October 2024.
According to the police, the stunt ended in a crash when officers attempted to intercept the vehicle. A confrontation followed, during which the accused allegedly abused the officers, caused injuries, and damaged government property by throwing a police phone into a canal.
While the accused maintained that he was falsely implicated due to a personal dispute with the police, the High Court was not convinced.
The judge also took into account the prosecution's claim that the petitioner was a repeat offender and had behaved aggressively during the incident.
"Mere filing of the charge sheet cannot, by itself, justify bail. The petitioner is free to approach the appropriate court for bail if there is any significant change in circumstances," the Court said in its concluding remarks.
Advocate Sadiq N. Goodwala represented the petitioner, while Government Pleader Girija S. Hiremath appeared for the State.
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Oppn to take joint call on impeachment motion against CEC, says Congress; Akhilesh voices support
New Delhi (PTI): The entire Opposition will take a collective call on moving an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Congress leader K C Venugopal said on Wednesday, a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for such a move.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also extended support to Banerjee in her fight against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, however, refused to comment on the matter.
Talking to mediapersons in the Parliament House complex, Venugopal said they are “positively” looking at the suggestion.
Banerjee, who was in the national capital as part of her campaign against the SIR exercise in West Bengal, on Tuesday called for the impeachment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and sought to rally support from the other opposition parties on the issue.
Banerjee also appeared in the Supreme Court on Wednesday and argued her petition against the SIR exercise, alleging unfair targeting of West Bengal by the poll panel and bulldozing of its citizens.
Asked about Banerjee's call to move an impeachment motion against CEC Kumar, Venugopal, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, said, “The Trinamool Congress has already contacted the Congress... I think the entire Opposition will take a call on the matter, which is one of the most relevant issues raised by the Trinamool. We are positively looking at it.”
Akhilesh Yadav, whose Samajwadi Party is the second largest party in the Lok Sabha with 37 MPs, came out in support of the Trinamool supremo, and said, “Mamata Banerjee has donned a black coat against the black deeds of the BJP.”
“People must come forward. Losing your vote is losing your right. Everything will be lost one by one... Your citizenship would be questioned. We are with honourable Mamata Banerjee,” he added.
Asked about Banerjee's remarks, Rahul Gandhi, however, said, “I am not commenting on that.”
In the meantime, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi stressed that transparency should be maintained by the Election Commission.
“The way the BJP is misusing the SIR and using the Election Commission to violate voters’ rights by deleting their names on a large scale is deeply concerning. Mamata Ji is fighting this battle because, in West Bengal, a large number of votes belonging to people who traditionally vote for her party have reportedly been removed,” she said.
“She has taken this matter to the Supreme Court, and I welcome the step. On the impeachment motion she is talking about, if the Election Commission, an institution expected to uphold institutional morality, sets that aside and follows someone’s agenda, it is completely wrong,” Chaturvedi said.
“I hope that the Supreme Court, which is a constitutional provision and part of the legal process available to political parties, takes cognisance of this matter so that the credibility of the Election Commission does not collapse. The transparency of the poll panel must be maintained, and voters’ rights must be protected. I believe she will achieve victory in this fight,” she added.
The Trinamool supremo’s remarks came a day after she, along with her delegation, walked out of a meeting with CEC Kumar and other election commissioners on the issue of SIR, alleging that the poll panel chief showed arrogance and humiliated them.
Flanked by people from her state allegedly affected by the SIR exercise, Banerjee claimed at a presser that the electors whose names were being deleted were Trinamool supporters.
The process for impeaching the CEC is similar to that for a Supreme Court judge. The removal can take place only on the grounds of proven misbehaviour or incapacity.
A motion for removal may be introduced in either House of Parliament and must be passed by a special majority – a majority of the total membership of the House and a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting.
