Delhi govt tells HC: 'No connection between drunk driving and legal drinking age'

The Delhi government told the Delhi High Court, on Tuesday, that offences related to drunk driving and the state government's decision to reduce the minimum age for drinking alcohol are not connected. Earlier, the High Court had asked the Delhi government to reply to a petition filed concerning the reduction of the drinking age from 25 to 21 years. 

Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for Delhi Government said, "Drunken driving is not permissible in law. So whether the minimum age is 21 or 25, it doesn't matter". 

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi Government also said that the government doesn't favour or approve drunken driving and supports the strict laws imposed to control them. He highlighted that age has nothing to do with it as approval to drink doesn't extend to drunken driving.

On 23 August, the submissions of lawyers came during the hearing where a Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh sought response from the Delhi Government and other respondents and slated the matter for 17 September.

Plea challenging reduction of the minimum age for alcohol consumption 

In a fresh plea filed by the non-profit group, Community against Drunken Driving, the petitioner sought to restrain the Government of Delhi from implementing the recent Excise Policy, 2021-2022 which reduces the drinking age from 25 to 21 years until a robust age verification mechanism is instituted and has further suggested to check underage drinking at liquor shops. The court was hearing this plea filed through advocate Prasanna S. 

Prince Singhal, Founder of Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD) said, "As the initiator of the campaign against the drunken driving movement in 2001, I have often been outraged on several occasions during the last 21 years at how easily school and college students as young as 13-14 years can procure and consume alcohol." 

Singhal said, "In 2017 we had filed a PIL in Delhi High Court seeking mandatory age check at alcohol points of sale as a result of which the Honourable HC had asked the Delhi Government to form a policy mandatory age check at alcohol points of sale. However, the government failed to take action even after several petitions and white papers submitted them on this issue, including documents submitted to the Chief Minister". 

A similar plea was filed earlier by NGO All India Bhrashtachar Virodhi Morcha through advocate Vijay Sharma. 

(With inputs from ANI, Image: Unsplash)