Discrepancy in data on road accidents by minors provided by Union govt in Rajya Sabha: Report
New Delhi: A discrepancy has emerged between the road accident data provided by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the figures reported by the Tamil Nadu state government regarding accidents caused by minors.
The data presented by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in a written response in the Rajya Sabha on March 19 claimed that Tamil Nadu, based on the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD) system, recorded the highest number of road accidents involving minors from 2023 to 2024, with 2,063 cases, as reported by The Hindu.
However, the Tamil Nadu police, upon verifying the figures from the iRAD system, found that only 473 accidents caused by minors were recorded in Tamil Nadu during the same period. These included 204 accidents in 2023 and 269 in 2024.
A senior official from the Traffic and Road Safety wing of the State Director General of Police questioned the accuracy of the Union government's data, remarking, "Where is 200 and where is 2,000? Clearly, there is an error here."
State data showed that the total number of challans issued to guardians and parents of juveniles stood at 41 in 2023 and 80 in 2024. However, Bihar topped the country in this regard, issuing 1,316 challans and collecting a revenue of Rs 44.27 lakh.
The iRAD system receives data through the State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB), which is part of the Tamil Nadu Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), The Hindu report stated while quoting the official.
Furthermore, the official noted a 17% decrease in fatal road accidents in Tamil Nadu during the first two months of 2025. The state recorded 2,576 fatal accidents resulting in 2,678 deaths in January and February 2025, a drop from the 3,110 fatal accidents and 3,253 deaths in the same period in 2024, the report added.
A senior official from the Transport and Road Safety Commissionerate also highlighted that Tamil Nadu was the only state in India with a policy to suspend driving licenses for not wearing wear helmets and seat belts. This policy is in addition to the six traffic violations listed by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety that could lead to a driving license suspension: over speeding, overloading, drunk driving, mobile phone usage while driving, jumping red lights, and overloading passengers in goods carriages.
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Punjab: Blast near army cantt area in Amritsar, hours after explosion in Jalandhar
Chandigarh (PTI): An explosion occurred near the army cantonment area in Khasa late Tuesday night in Punjab's Amritsar, the second such incident which took place around three hours after a blast outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar.
According to the police, an investigation into both blast incidents is currently underway, and no injuries have been reported.
The first explosion happened around 8 pm in Jalandhar, while the second blast occurred at approximately 11 pm in Amritsar.
Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim stated that police received reports of a loud sound at around 11 pm on a road in Khasa. "Our teams arrived on the scene immediately," he said.
Preliminary inspections indicated that someone had thrown an explosive device towards the boundary wall, leading to the explosion, according to the SSP.
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Police mentioned that a piece of a tin sheet covering the boundary wall had fallen as a result of the blast.
Following the explosion, a team of forensic and bomb disposal squad visited the site to collect samples.
Amritsar Rural Superintendent of Police Aditya S. Warrier, who also visited the scene, confirmed that further investigations are ongoing. Police added that a team of army officials also assessed the situation, after which the area was cordoned off.
CCTV footage from the vicinity shows the explosion occurring at night. A local villager reported that his family was awakened by the loud sound and came outside their home to see what had happened.
Before the Amritsar explosion, a blast took place outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday, causing panic in the area.
CCTV footage captured the explosion, which resulted in a cloud of smoke. An unidentified man was seen running for cover following the blast.
The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged a traffic signal pole and windowpanes of a nearby shop. Locals recounted that the scooter, which was parked outside the BSF headquarters, Punjab Frontier, caught fire shortly after a loud sound. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who regularly delivers parcels in the area.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, one of Gurpreet's relatives said that the scooter caught fire as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed to reporters late Tuesday that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She stated that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses nearby reported hearing a loud sound following the explosion.
On April 27, an explosion occurred at a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu in Patiala. Police had arrested four members of a pro-Khalistan terror module, backed by Pakistan's ISI, for the blast.
In light of these incidents, opposition parties have condemned the AAP government for its handling of the situation.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, over the recent blasts.
"Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day, May 5: Jalandhar outside BSF headquarters and Sri Amritsar Sahib Army area, April 27: Rajpura rail track. Continued intelligence failures and the collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern. Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the state Home Minister, is busy with mimicry and cheap politics. He has forfeited the right to remain in office," Badal said in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed the Mann government over the two blasts.
"Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar, this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action," Warring said in a post on X.
