Days after Cyrus Mistry's death, 17 fined in Delhi for not wearing seat belts in rear

The Delhi Traffic Police on Wednesday issued 17 challans to people for not wearing seat belts in the rear seats of cars, officials said.

The police conducted a drive on the Barakhamba Road near Connaught Place in central Delhi to ensure compliance.

"A total of 17 court challans were issued during the drive from 11 am to 1 pm under Section 194B (use of safety belts and the seating of children) of the Motor Vehicles Act," a senior police officer said.

The offenders were fined ₹1,000 each, the police said.

The drive comes after former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry (54) died in a road accident in Maharashtra's Palghar district on September 4. According to police, Mistry, who was sitting in the rear, was not wearing a seat belt.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi Traffic) Aalap Patel said, "The legal provisions were already there but it has become a topic of discussion after the recent incident (Mistry's death)."

"The Delhi Traffic Police is already running a campaign to spread public awareness regarding (the importance of) wearing seat belts. We are also taking legal action," the officer said.