17-year-old boy drives beacon-fitted car, pushes cop with it

 The boy who was allegedly at the wheel of a car fitted with a beacon and a board saying 'Judge' was detained for driving against the flow of traffic on Park Street

 A still from a video that has emerged shows a car moving against the flow of traffic on Park Street on Sunday evening and pushing a police officer who tried to stop it.: The Telegraph

MONALISA CHAUDHURI | TT  |  28.11.23 :  A 17-year-old who was allegedly at the wheel of a car fitted with a beacon and a board saying “Judge” was detained for driving against the flow of traffic on Park Street and pushing an officer in uniform with the car when he tried to stop him on Sunday evening.

The boy, whose name and identity are being withheld as he is a minor, was taken to Park Street police station, from where his 78-year-old grandfather, who said he was a judge in Bangalore 18 years ago, took him home after signing an undertaking that the minor will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board on Tuesday.

The incident happened around 5.30pm on Park Street, when the vehicles were moving from Chowringhee Road towards Park Circus.

Senior officers of the traffic department said Abhishek Sinha, a sergeant from the East traffic guard, was on duty on Park Street.

“Sinha first spotted the Hyundai Verna, which was fitted with a blue beacon and a board with ‘Judge’ written on it. He tried to stop the car as it was moving against the flow of traffic and was heading towards Chowringhee Road. As the car was signalled to stop, the person at the wheel started moving the car in ‘reverse gear’,” said the officer in the traffic department.

The police said the car was intercepted but it did not stop. It took a U-turn and then headed towards Park Circus. It was stopped near the intersection of Park Street and Loudon Street.

“It could have caused an accident or injured the sergeant. This is absolutely uncalled for,” said the senior police officer.

A video that has emerged purportedly shows the car taking a U-turn and speeding towards Park Circus.

Several police officers Metro spoke to said cops trying to do their duty — either while subjecting drivers to alcohol tests or trying to stop a vehicle moving in a dangerous way — are often subjected to abuses.

The teenager was taken to Park Street police station, where his grandfather, in whose name the car is registered, came to take him home.

The boy will be presented before the Juvenile Justice Board on Tuesday in connection with this case.

The police said the boy has been accused of violating multiple traffic rules, driving without a licence, rash and negligent driving and dangerous driving.

“However, according to the protocol followed for minors, he was not prosecuted. He will be presented before the Juvenile Justice Board,” the police said.

As a minor, he is not entitled to a driving licence, the police said.