TWENTY-SIX bikers were arrested for racing on the streets of Bandra early on Monday. The arrests were made as part of a special drive launched by the police after a biker brushed the car carrying Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray early this month.
“After the incident we decided to carry out a special drive against youngsters who participated in these late-night races,” said Police Inspector Ghanshyam Patil of the Bandra police. “They are putting their own lives as well as those of other motorists and pedestrians at stake.
” The accused were later presented in the Bandra metropolitan court, which let them out on a bail of Rs 10,000 each. On March 3, a group of bikers was racing near Bandra’s Carter Road when one of them, who is still untraceable, lost balance, and his motorcycle brushed the car carrying Thackeray, the police said.
Thackeray’s office complained about this to the Bandra police. Thackeray’s personal assistant Milind Narvekar, however, refused to comment on the issue.
The 26 youngsters, mostly in the age group of 18 to 25, were booked for rash driving under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Motor Vehicles Act. The police said that they first received an alert from the control room about bikers zooming along the Bandra Reclamation.
Most of the youngsters were from middle and lower-middle class families and three were riding without a licence, the police said. In an earlier case, six motorcyclists were arrested on March 15.
They too were released on a bail of Rs 10,000 each.
