Kolkata Police filed 410 cases for alleged traffic violations on Sasthi night during Durga Puja, arresting 65 people and seizing 85 vehicles as enforcement intensified across the city. The figures were released by the police headquarters at Lalbazar after a night of heightened surveillance aimed at curbing dangerous driving and congestion during the festival.
The number of cases on Sasthi was higher than on Panchami, when police recorded 334 cases and arrested 28 people. Enforcement began on Panchami night and continued as large crowds travelled across Kolkata to visit puja pandals and other public spaces.
According to the police figures, 189 cases were registered against people accused of riding three on a motorcycle. Police also filed 65 cases for allegedly reckless driving and 61 cases against people accused of driving cars or motorcycles while intoxicated. A further 95 cases were recorded for other traffic violations.
The enforcement data showed no cases for riding without a helmet on Sasthi night. Lalbazar’s list recorded the number of helmet-related cases as zero, even as police reported action against other forms of unsafe driving and violations involving two-wheelers.
Police also seized 2.4 litres of alcohol during the operation. The figures do not state where the alcohol was recovered or whether the seizures were linked directly to the 61 alleged drunk-driving cases.
The enforcement drive comes as Kolkata experiences a sharp increase in nighttime movement during the Durga Puja period. Police have increased monitoring to manage the combined pressure of festival crowds, private vehicles, motorcycles and visitors travelling between neighbourhoods. The latest figures indicate that multiple-risk behaviours, including triple riding, reckless driving and alleged drunk driving, remain central to the traffic enforcement operation.
The Kolkata Police’s published list covered the action taken on Sasthi night. Further enforcement is expected to continue through the remaining Puja nights as the city manages festival traffic and pedestrian movement.
