Hyderabad: What happens when a night of indulgence spirals into reckless behaviour? For two intoxicated individuals in Hyderabad, it meant swapping their party hats for a seat at the police station’s reception desk. Teegulla Dayasayraj (28), a businessman from West Maredpally, and his 25-year-old friend from Mettuguda learned this the hard way after a midnight mishap on December 28. Returning from a Jubilee Hills banquet, the duo lost control of their vehicle at Road No. 1, Jubilee Hills, sending it crashing into a divider and landing on the footpath.
The police promptly arrived, towing the wrecked car and escorting the visibly inebriated pair to the Jubilee Hills Police Station. The real drama unfolded there: instead of remorse, the duo created chaos until sunrise. Breathalyzer tests confirmed their intoxication, and they were produced before the 16th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Prabhakar in Nampally the next day.
But, here’s where the story takes a twist. Rather than the usual fines or jail time, the judge handed down a unique sentence: the duo must report to the Jubilee Hills Police Station every day from 10 am to 12 pm for 15 days. Their duty? Welcome visitors with politeness and a smile, a punishment intended to curb their reckless behaviour.
For the first three days, the pair tried to sidestep the spirit of the penalty, merely signing in and leaving early. This led to a stern warning from the police, reminding them of the judge’s intent. Today both accused reached there as usual. But when they saw the media that reached there on this matter, they ran away from the back gate of the police station.
The quirky punishment has sparked buzz across Hyderabad, with residents applauding the creative approach to addressing drunk driving. Will this serve as a wake-up call for others tempted to drink and drive? Only time will tell, but for now, Dayasayraj and his accomplice are learning their lesson, one greeting at a time.
