Meghalaya: Ri-Bhoi Police Demands Drunken Driving Be Made Non-Bailable, Lifelong Ban for Offenders

Shillong: In a rare and strongly worded appeal, the Ri-Bhoi Police on Thursday urged the Meghalaya government to reclassify drunken driving as a cognizable and non-bailable offence, proposing that offenders be sent straight to jail for a minimum of three months and face a lifetime driving ban.

The demand comes in the wake of a horrific accident on Monday evening in which two female students of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) were critically injured after being mowed down by a speeding car driven by an allegedly intoxicated driver near the university’s Gate-II.

In an emotional public statement posted on social media, the police force expressed “deep anguish and uncontrollable anger” over the incident, saying that no words could adequately describe their pain.

“We pray with all our hearts for the speedy and complete recovery of the two brave young girls. Let us all stand together and pray for their healing,” the statement read, while declaring that drunken driving “has no place in any civilised society.”

Condemning those who choose to drive after consuming alcohol, the police asserted that such individuals “do not deserve bail or even a trial” because of the grave threat they pose to innocent lives.

The accident occurred around 7:30 pm on Monday when a Maruti car (ML-05 J 4916) driven by Parmen M. Sangma, a security staffer at NEIGRIHMS, lost control and rammed into the two students from behind.

The victims – Stephanie Shadap (22) from Mawkyndeng, Ri-Bhoi district, and Daritngen Ponduhkhei (20) from Borkhat, East Jaintia Hills – suffered severe injuries and were initially rushed to Civil Hospital, Shillong, before being shifted to the ICU of Nazareth Hospital.

Medical examination confirmed that the driver was heavily under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. A case under sections of drunken driving and attempt to murder has been registered against Parmen M. Sangma, who has been remanded to seven-day judicial custody. The vehicle has been seized.

Describing the incident as a wake-up call, Ri-Bhoi Police made an impassioned appeal to the public: “Let us all collectively say NO to drunken driving and NO to reckless driving. Only together can we make our roads safe again.”

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