Representative image of a hit-and-run case, where tyre tracks can be seen.
Credit: iStock Photo
The new provision for hit-and-run cases in the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has caused furor among truckers with many taking to the streets across the nation to protest the new law.
The law details 'whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine.'
There is a second category as well, which states there will be imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of Rs 7 lakh may be imposed if the offender flees the scene or fails to report the crime right away.
A hit-and-run case, simply put, is a criminal offence where a driver of a motor vehicle is accused of hitting another person who is on foot, probably, and abandoning the injured person and the scene without taking any responsibility.
Truckers’ union, All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah claiming that police frequently blame large vehicles for accidents without investigating thoroughly and that drivers, most of the time, are at risk of facing violent mobs at the scene of a hit-and-run accident.
Their contention is that the 'harsh punishment' in hit-and-run cases under the recently enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita could dissuade drivers from staying in the profession, exacerbating what they say is an existing shortage of truck drivers in the country.
In light of these events, here's a look at the number of hit-and-run cases in India in the last five years.
In 2022, India saw 67,387 hit-and-run cases, lower than what it saw in 2018 and 2019, though the country witnessed a more significant dip in 2020 and 2021. However, this is most likely linked to the Covid-related lockdowns in those two years.
Last year, India saw 30,486 deaths from hit-and-run cases, the highest in this five year analysis.
During the protests, a government official went on to assure that if the truckers reported such instances, they would not face the brunt of the stringent provision in the new law.
Truck drivers in multiple states , however, criticised the law and began a three-day protest, blocking highways and major roads earlier this week, demanding proper clarification from the government on the 'hit-and-run' provision.
The nationwide protest by truck and bus operators resulted in chaos as vehicles lined-up at petrol pumps fearing fuel scarcity across the country.
The protest was ultimately called off after government intervention and an assurance that no decision would be taken without consulting the stakeholders, in this case, the truckers.