Kolkata traffic police registered 726 cases across the city on Ashtami night for violations including riding without helmets, triple-riding, dangerous driving and alleged drunk driving, while 67 people were arrested across different police divisions.
The figures were included in a list released by Lalbazar, the headquarters of Kolkata Police. The action came during Durga Puja, when police increase patrols and monitoring across the city to manage heightened movement and prevent dangerous or intoxicated driving.
According to the police figures, 231 cases were filed against motorcyclists accused of riding without helmets. Another 155 cases involved motorcycles carrying three people, while 90 cases were registered for allegedly dangerous driving and other traffic violations.
Police also filed 81 cases for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. The figure is significant because the state government had declared Maha Ashtami a dry day through a set of directives issued about a month earlier. The available report does not specify how many of the 81 cases resulted from breathalyser tests or other particular enforcement procedures.
In addition to the cases in the four main violation categories, police recorded 169 other cases related to traffic law violations. Taken together, the figures show that enforcement during the festival night covered both specific high-risk behaviours and a wider set of traffic offences.
The 67 arrests were made across different police divisions. The police action was part of the security and traffic-management arrangements put in place during the festival, when large numbers of people travel between neighbourhoods and pandals and roads experience increased pressure.
Kolkata Police traditionally intensifies surveillance during the Durga Puja period, with patrols and monitoring intended to deter reckless and intoxicated driving. The latest enforcement figures place helmet compliance, motorcycle overloading, dangerous driving and alcohol-related road safety at the centre of the Ashtami-night traffic operation.
The police list records cases and arrests rather than final court outcomes. Further legal action in each matter will proceed according to the applicable traffic and criminal-law processes.
