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▲ An Indian police officer (right) and his 6-year-old granddaughter in a car
An Indian police officer has been suspended after allowing his 6-year-old granddaughter to take the wheel on a busy road, causing significant inconvenience to other drivers.
According to Indian media outlets including the Hindustan Times on July 14, Pujari Tirupati, an inspector at a police station in Hyderabad, the capital of the southern state of Telangana, allowed his granddaughter to drive on a city road on July 12.
He placed his granddaughter in the driver's seat on the right side while he sat in the passenger seat on the left.
The 6-year-old girl's erratic driving caused traffic congestion in the area and increased the risk of an accident, leading local residents to file complaints.
Despite the situation, Tirupati reportedly did not stop his granddaughter from driving and sparked public outrage by insisting that there was nothing wrong with his decision.
Another Indian media outlet, The Hindu, reported that Tirupati claimed he allowed his granddaughter to drive to prepare her to be listed in the Guinness World Records as the world's youngest driver.
His reckless behavior came to light after a video of the incident spread widely on social media.
In response, the Telangana State Police booked Tirupati for allowing a minor to drive illegally and ordered his suspension.
Having been booked and suspended, Tirupati is currently under police investigation.
Under Indian traffic laws, allowing a minor to drive a vehicle on public roads is a punishable offense.
Indian authorities have repeatedly warned that driving by minors (under 18) can lead to traffic accidents and that vehicle owners or guardians who permit such behavior can face criminal charges, yet the practice remains persistent.
It is reported that 110,890 traffic accidents caused by minors occur annually across India, averaging 16 cases per day.
The reasons behind the persistence of underage driving are attributed to the tacit approval of parents or guardians and some teenagers showing off illegal driving of luxury cars on social media.
(Photo: Hindustan Times capture, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
