[Tapish]

This happened today in the early hours. Though I do not agree with the police action, due to which a young life was lost, I do believe that strong deterrents are necessary to avoid such incidents in the future.

I have seen various stunt bikers in different areas of Delhi/ NCR putting their life (and more importantly that of others) at risk.

Source: Firstpost

A young man was shot dead and another injured after an altercation took place between a biker gang and the police on Parliament Street in New Delhi. According to CNN IBN, Delhi Police intercepted a group of 30-40 youngsters performing dangerous stunts on the road in the wee hours of Sunday. When the police asked the youngsters to stop, a fight broke out between them.

According to DNA, the police tried shooting at the tyres of one of the bikes. However, the bullet hit Karan Pandey, who was riding pillion, on the back. Another youth Puneet Sharma was also injured. The duo was rushed to a nearby hospital where Pandey was declared dead. Doctors also said that Sharma was drunk.

CNN IBN adds that the police has said that even after repeated warnings, the drunken bikers continued with their stunts and jeered at the police. The police then fired one shot at the air and then targeted the tyre of one of the bikes. Because the vehicles were moving, police said, the shot hit Karan in the back.

DNA reports:

A police patrolling van reached Windsor Place after there were reports that some 30 young bikers were performing dangerous stunts. When the policemen instructed them to stop, the bikers started pelting stones at them, which damaged the police vehicle.

The Delhi Police had recently announced stringent action against biking gangs in Delhi, some of who have reportedly robbed individuals and shops. This police intervention was meant to be a part of the spate of new measures taken to pull a plug on these biking gangs.

[Viju]

Sad to see a young life wasted for something so pointless.

On the other hand, the online boost / hype that motorcycling in India has received in the past decade is tremendous. Lot of good, but then lot of bad side effects too - like this one. I hope that the general idea of motorcycling in India doesn't turn into one of hooliganism, stunting and show-off.

[deehunk]

It is highly condemnable that police shot dead a biker, I have experienced this nuisance many times on Magadi road, Kanakapura road and Mysore road these idiots do it with every sense and try to irritate especially couples on bikes or car ladies alone in 2/4 wheelers. So before this killing become a regular affair the police should make rules to stop this menace.

[Recompose]

Originally Posted by Tapish

... I do believe that strong deterrents are necessary to avoid such incidents in the future.

Source: Firstpost

Originally Posted by deehunk

...the police should make rules to stop this menace.

The rules are in place, it is the people in question who arent following them.

What further action must the police take, if they're being pelted stones up on? I remember another incident in Bangalore, where the biker lost his life after he entered the premises of a Brigadier in a gated Army colony to escape the police trailing him. Evidently, he didn't want to accept the consequences of his actions and had to pay dearly for it.

[bharatbs]

The victim invited this to happen, the police don't carry guns for ornamental purpose.

Pelting stones, assaulting police, fleeing a scene of the crime at high speed and dangerous driving. Which educated, sane person would do this?

What if these youth had met with an accident with pedestrians crossing the road?

[Supercool]

I think there is a need to sensitise youngsters about their social responsibility. Life is a god's gift and must be respected.

[sen2009]

Very soon there will be a "Tiananmen square" in Delhi.
Some young chaps got a little unruly with there bikes... so shoot 'em!

[Recompose]

Originally Posted by bharatbs

The victim invited this to happen, the police don't carry guns for ornamental purpose.

Pelting stones, assaulting police, fleeing a scene of the crime at high speed and dangerous driving. Which educated, sane person would do this?

What if these youth had met with an accident with pedestrians crossing the road?

An eight year old boy lost his life when hit by a bike which was performing a wheelie.

An important takeaway from the article is

Even citizens can enforce the law against you, and they are authorised to do so under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Article 43 of the CrPC, 1973, authorises any citizen to make a ‘citizen arrest’. It’s an option available to the citizens to arrest “any person who in his presence commits a non-bailable and cognisable offence, or any proclaimed offender, and without unnecessary delay…”

There are a number of photos posted in the bad drivers thread and Rants against [insert city name]'s traffic. Hopefully, this knowledge can bring about some real action.

[latentpotential]

While the incident is sad, and further details may be released in due course of time, this should not lead into a witchhunt of catching everyone on any sports bike wearing full safety gear and attempting to book them under rash driving. Perhaps it is now time to fit car-like GPS loggers from registered security professionals on bikes as an added safeguard against uninformed usage of law against the genuine bikes in the community. These may give the evidence needed against the cops in a court of law.

[hrman]

Call me heartless. But those drunk boys had this coming. I hope this serves as a deterrent to those demons who are drunk on their parent's money and cause harm to innocent citizens. Serves them right!!

[speedmiester]

The bikers were drunk, unruly, attacked the cops and all this near the most sensitive place in the country. No wonder the police acted the way they did. Hope this puts some sense into the mindless stunts pulled off by the bikers.
What if an innocent person had to lose life just because some bikers had to have fun. How can that be justified.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by sen2009

Very soon there will be a "Tiananmen square" in Delhi.
Some young chaps got a little unruly with there bikes... so shoot 'em!

That is a very one-sided view of the situation. The police didn't go in firing indiscriminately on the bikers. It was only presumably after the bikers refused to disperse and instead starting lobbing stones at them that they resorted to firing.

Originally Posted by bharatbs

Pelting stones, assaulting police, fleeing a scene of the crime at high speed and dangerous driving. Which educated, sane person would do this?

Originally Posted by Recompose

What further action must the police take, if they're being pelted stones up on? I remember another

Originally Posted by Supercool

I think there is a need to sensitise youngsters about their social responsibility. Life is a god's gift and must be respected.

Absolutely. Well said!

Mod Note: Thread title changed to reflect a more neutral stance on the issue.

[IQBAL VEERJI]

Originally Posted by hrman

Call me heartless. But those drunk boys had this coming. I hope this serves as a deterrent to those demons who are drunk on their parent's money and cause harm to innocent citizens. Serves them right!!

My brother why call your self heartless,it was bound to happen,in fact it is a lesson to all others who do these stunts,maybe not forever but at least for few months. I had seen it in on a particular news channel showing a sikh guy on a bullet abusing the photographer who was shooting his stunts.
In fact at times we have seen the police chasing them on their less powered bikes and these jokers making fun of them.What police did in my view is the best.Let even the parents also come to know about it.
Further more who they think they are by stoning police officers and their vehicles.

[AbelAFC]

This makes all us teenagers look like a bunch of irresponsible loafers. Its thanks to these morons that safe riders aren't allowed to buy bikes, and we're forced to travel by public transport and get stuck in massive traffic jams.
Its not cool to do this on the road, I don't understand why no one understands.
When will these guys stop drinking and driving/riding? At this rate they're only gonna stop once they're six feet under the ground.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by sen2009

Very soon there will be a "Tiananmen square" in Delhi.
Some young chaps got a little unruly with there bikes... so shoot 'em!

Agree - This is lunacy! Those policemen must justify their actions or be tried for cold blooded murder.

Originally Posted by bharatbs

The victim invited this to happen, the police don't carry guns for ornamental purpose.

Pelting stones, assaulting police, fleeing a scene of the crime at high speed and dangerous driving. Which educated, sane person would do this?

What if these youth had met with an accident with pedestrians crossing the road?

I am sorry - life is gray and its not so simple that you can justify the equivalent of murder. It is very easy to type words sitting cocooned at your home - think of the parents who lost their child.

Originally Posted by Recompose

The rules are in place, it is the people in question who arent following them.

What further action must the police take, if they're being pelted stones up on? I remember another incident in Bangalore, where the biker lost his life after he entered the premises of a Brigadier in a gated Army colony to escape the police trailing him. Evidently, he didn't want to accept the consequences of his actions and had to pay dearly for it.

Yeah - that was patently stupid but again I believe they could've shot not to kill but to warn. Unnecessary loss of life even there.

In general in life the principle is to assume innocent until proven guilty. Popping a bunch of wheelies does NOT give any policeman license to kill. Such policemen should only be tried for cold blooded murder of innocents. I cannot imagine how shooting at the tyres led to a pillion dying (shooting wide by almost 3-4 ft!) - clearly our police is far from the trained efficient force they pretend to be. They are clearly not too fit to carry their weapons!