Police in Surat detained a man after a video surfaced online showing him driving an SUV with one hand while shooting firecrackers into the sky on Diwali night. The incident took place on the busy Gaurav Path Road in the city’s Pal area.
The police shared a video of him apologising at the police station with his hands folded.
The Pal police launched an investigation based on the viral video and CCTV footage, identifying the driver as Ashish Patel. It is reported that the accused operates a manufacturing unit in the local area. The authorities highlighted that a single mistake could have easily resulted in a major accident. The video drew sharp criticism from online users demanding strict action against the driver. After it went viral, the police took immediate action. He was arrested. The police also shared a video of him apologising at the police station with his hands folded and holding his own ears. “Please never make such a mistake while driving a moving vehicle. The Pal police station has counselled me, so I urge all of you not to do anything like this.”
The dangerous stunt, pulled off by the driver of a Mahindra Thar, posed an immediate threat to passing motorists and two-wheelers, according to officials and viral clips. “Pal police teaching a lesson in the law to a person who was recklessly setting off firecrackers from a moving car on the main road in the Pal area on Diwali night,” the official handle of Surat Police wrote in the caption.
