New Delhi: Fuel pumps in several states are witnessing long queues in recent days, not due to a preemptive fuel price increase, but because of panic buying. Concerns about the truckers’ protest against the impending implementation of the new criminal code have triggered this surge. If the protest continues, it could potentially impact the supply of various essential commodities.
Protests have erupted in several states, including Bihar, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, opposing the hefty penalties for hit-and-run incidents in the upcoming Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which is slated to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code.
WHAT IS THE NEW LAW?
According to the new law, hit-and-run cases could lead to a 10-year jail term and a ₹7 lakh fine. Commercial vehicle operators, including truckers and cab drivers, are expressing concerns about how they would afford such substantial fines in case of accidents. Happy Sidhu, president of the All Punjab Truck Operators’ Union, denounces the new law as a “black law” that could devastate truckers in Punjab.
Participating in the protest are drivers of numerous fuel-carrying tankers, contributing to a fuel crisis in several cities. As they join the strike, other urban centers fear a similar fuel shortage in the upcoming days. An association of petrol pump dealers in Aurangabad has warned that fuel pumps in the district might run dry by Tuesday.
“Drivers of tankers that carry fuel from Panewadi (in Nashik) have called for agitation and have stopped filling fuel,” Aqeel Abbas, secretary of the association, told news agency PTI. At Himachal in the north, the strike has already hit the tourism sector. Local media reports have said tourists are struggling to find vehicles after cab operators joined the strike against the new law.
Anil Garg, the head of the Maharashtra school bus owners’ association, stated that school buses would remain operational until they exhaust their diesel supply. “If the diesel supply stops, school buses will stop too.”
In Patna, truck operators protested the new law by burning tires and blocking roads, expressing concerns about providing for their families during a potential 10-year jail term. In Navi Mumbai, a group of truckers assaulted a policeman, leading to police intervention on the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway, as reported by PTI.
Protesters in Thane obstructed the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, throwing stones at the police, resulting in an injured officer and a damaged police vehicle. In Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, private bus and truck drivers blocked the Pitampur highway. Protests were also staged in Bhopal and the Chhattisgarh capital, Raipur.
Bhopal cab driver Gyansingh Yadav, in tears, explained the reason behind their protest. “People like me, who drive cabs for a living, still get to go home at night. But truck drivers often spend 15 days or more away from their loved ones. We are not against any government or law, but I believe some amendments should be made, especially regarding the penal provisions against drivers. The new law imposes a 10-year prison term for errant drivers. I think it should be reduced to 1-2 years,” he conveyed to news agency ANI.
At Raipur, a bus driver said, “We are poor people. Penal action should be taken against the owners of our vehicles. This law is unfair on us. We will continue to be on strike till our demands are met.”
At Aurangabad in Maharashtra, truck driver Syed Wajed said, “We are drivers, how can we pay such a huge fine?”
Hit-and-run accidents and deaths resulting from reckless driving fall under the law governing causing death by negligence in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The law, having received the President’s assent following parliamentary approval, consists of two clauses under Section 104. The first clause states, “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.”
“Whoever causes death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide and escapes from the scene of incident or fails to report the incident to a Police officer or Magistrate soon after the incident, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description of a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine,” says the second.
Currently, hit-and-run accidents are covered by IPC’s Section 304A. “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 two years, or with fine, or with both,” it states.