Bullet riders arrested over ‘patakha’ sounds
Three youths on a Royal Enfield Bullet were arrested for making silencer ‘blasts’ by rigging the exhaust — what is colloquially termed the ‘patakha’ sound — in Sohna on Friday.
The arrests were the first for such an “offence” in the city that police hoped will send across a loud message to bikers who like to go on look-at-me rides on roads and attract attention with stunts or noise.
An FIR has been filed against the three — Khemraj of Neemka village in Mewat, Gajender (Kalu) and Arun (Bony), both from Damdama village near Sohna —under Section 160 (affray, causing disturbance) of the IPC at Sohna City police station. Police also seized the bike that Gajender had borrowed from one of his friends for a ride. The court released them on bail on Saturday.
Police said the three youths on the bike were intercepted on Sohna Road around 3.15pm on Friday for ‘disturbing commuters’ on the stretch.
“They were riding dangerously and creating explosion-like sound to scare away other commuters. They were disrupting peace. We understand the craze but ruckus on road is not tolerable. So, we took action,” said ASI Om Prakash, the investigating officer, who bookedthe three.
“We have also impounded their bike which will be released only on the order of court,” he added.
The blast-like sound is produced by removing the company-fitted silencer and installing a ‘loud pipe’ that does not have the filters that the regular silencer does. “Such sound creates panic among commuters, and canalso lead to mishaps. Youth should be discouraged from indulging in such activity. Bikes speeding along the city roads and NH-8, making patakha sound are common here. Police should take prompt action against all such offenders,” said advocate Sanjay Nasa, a Sector 5 resident.
The decibel menace has been rattling the commuters for long but police, until this Friday, did little to slam the brakes on these noisy bikes. A traffic cop said under the Motor Vehicle Act, causing silencer ‘blast’ is an offence. “But the problem is when we apprehend someone for creating such noise, we cannot prove his offence due to lack of technical knowhow and evidence. Offenders mainly take advantage of this legal loophole,” he said on condition of anonymity.
DCP (traffic) Deepak Gahlawat admitted that this was a nuisance, and said cops issued challans to offenders from time to time. “We are thinking of taking help from mechanics to understand the mechanism behind it (silencer blasts). But from now, we will seize bikes if riders cause any noise pollution,” he added.
