Cops bring city’s fast and furious to screeching halt

One of the detained cars, a Lamborghini, managed to speed away after almost knocking down a Traffic Inspector when the official demanded the car’s papers. 

The Traffic Inspector has preferred a separate complaint in this regard to the Kanathur police station, alleging that the driver of the vehicle drove the car in a rash manner. 

The traffic cops commenced the early morning operation near Uthandi Toll Gate on Sunday. Posh sports cars were engaged in drag racing at very high speed, each trying to overtake the other. The police then managed to stop 10 cars but five others managed to speed away when the police tried to stop them. 

The police officials demanded that the drivers, who were at the wheels of cars like Mercedes SLS AMG, Audi R8, Lamborghini, Porsche Cayman, Nissan GT and Range Rovers, pull over and show documents. However, the drivers, all owners of the cars, began to argue with the police and even allegedly boasted that nothing could be done to them. 

Police, however, did not budge and booked cases under IPC Sections 279 (rash and negligent driving), 353 (obstructing a public servant from carrying out his duties), 336 (driving with the intention of causing hurt of injury to someone) and Sections 184, 189 and 190 of Motor Vehicles Act. 

Just when the policemen were talking to the car owners, the owner of a Lamborghini suddenly started his car and sped away, almost knocking down a Traffic Inspector in the process. 

“We have handed over all the cars to the Kanathur police station and cases will be handled by the Law and Order wing. The Motor Vehicles department officials would inspect the cars on Monday and only then the cars would be released,” a senior traffic police official said. 

People residing on the ECR have been complaining about drag races involving luxury cars and bikes causing danger to the road users for some time now. However, until Sunday, no action was taken against them. 

On Saturday, a motorbike rider was burnt to death on ECR after his vehicle hit a government bus head on and caught fire. The youth was involved in bike racing, police said.