The Delhi high court on Wednesday directed the city government and the police chief to explain the steps taken by them to prevent bikers from performing stunts in public places including near India Gate, where a teenager lost his life during firing by the police on stunters last month.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Vibhu Bakhru issued notices to the Centre, Delhi government and the police commissioner and sought their responses by October 23 on a PIL seeking action against such bikers. “The police is to file affidavit explaining the measures which they adopt to stop such bikers from performing stunts,” the bench said.
The order came on the PIL filed by Hari Kishan Dayal, a city-based retired professor, who said he was aggrieved by “lawlessness” in Delhi and the “vulnerability” of men and women here due to such bikers. Seeking strict action against them, the PIL said “every year these anti-social elements go on rampage on their bikes, by overspeeding and performing stunts on roads and harass the general public. In spite of prior information, the police do not make adequate arrangements to stop them from violating law and troubling the commuters.”
The traffic often comes to a standstill in these areas due to the bikers, the plea said.
The petition said that due to the failure of the police to stop such bikers, a 19-year-old youth lost his life last month.