Indore Truck Rampage: MP High Court Raps State Over 1244 No Entry Infractions; Seeks Report On Proposed Measures

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday (November 19) criticised the State for allowing heavy vehicles to enter through designated no-entry zones.Expressing concern over the 1244 recorded violations, the bench of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf observed that the enforcement approach appeared to be one where vehicles were first permitted entry and only thereafter penalised, rather than preventing the infraction altogether.These observations were made in a suo-motu plea initiated after a truck entered a residential area of Indore during peak traffic hours and caused accidents, leading to the death of three people and injuring 35, with 12 sustaining grievous injuries.In the last hearing, the Amicus Curiae submitted a status report highlighting recent tragic incidents— including one where an intoxicated driver killed two students and another where three police personnel, reportedly, under the influence of alcohol, were involved in the deaths of four to five individuals.The bench, in today's hearing, questioned why such incidents continued to occur frequently, questioning how heavy vehicles were entering the city during prohibited hours, why drivers were not being checked for a valid driving license and other documents and what pre-emptive measures were established to stop such incidents. The counsel for the State submitted a report covering the eight incidents highlighted by the Amicus Curiae. The State acknowledged that some of the highlighted incidents included late-night accidents involving intoxicated drivers. The bench, however, citing Delhi and Mumbai as examples, noted that on-ground enforcement teams could be posted, especially near bars and pub clusters, to prevent drunk driving, along with the use of breath analysers and proactive checks.Amicus Curiae informed that the city's traffic management plan does not address the type of incidents that led to the Court's suo motu intervention. It was contended that the authorities continued to take post-incident steps without a structured preventive framework to regulate.Noting the 1244 no entry infraction, the court orally remarked, "Firstly, you permitted them to enter. And then you catch them". The Indore Police Commissioner also appeared via video conferencing and submitted that steps were taken under the three E's system of traffic management, i.e Education, Engineering and Enforcement. Indore Police Commissioner further submitted that the implementation of this system has led to a lower number of accidents. He submitted that the State has approached not only schools but also colleges and different sections of society to spread awareness about road safety.Additionally, he submitted that campaigns were rolled out where the public not only learns about road safety but also registers via an OR Code to spread the message across to others.Directing the Commissioner to file the state campaigns in his affidavit, the bench clarified that its primary concern lies in unauthorized entries of heavy vehicles and intoxicated driving cases.Thus, the bench directed;"Status report has been filed, the same is taken on record. The Commissioner of Police, Indore, Mr. Santosh Kumar Singh is also connected through VC. The state is directed to file a further report with regard to the steps proposed to be taken. The steps already taken and proposed to be taken to ensure minimisation of accidents and breach of the traffic rules. Renotify on 17 December 2025". Case Title: In Reference Suo Motu PIL v The State of Madhya Pradesh (WP no 37620 of 2025)

Indore Truck Rampage: MP High Court Raps State Over 1244 No Entry Infractions; Seeks Report On Proposed Measures

Jayanti Pahwa

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