Karnataka HC calls for tougher laws to curb 'wheeling' on roads

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has raised serious concerns over the lack of specific legal provisions to deal with the growing menace of ‘wheeling’, and has called for tougher laws to curb it.

Wheeling is a dangerous stunt where two-wheeler riders lift the front wheel while driving.

Justice V Srishananda, while hearing a bail plea, observed that current laws fall short of effectively deterring such behavior.

Presently, individuals performing wheeling can only be charged under provisions related to negligent or rash driving, which are bailable offences.

Justice Srishananda noted that these provisions are inadequate for law enforcement to take stringent action against such hazardous acts.

“At the time of enacting the Motor Vehicles Act, perhaps the lawmakers did not envisage a situation where a two-wheeler would be driven on the rear wheel alone,” he said.

Given the sharp rise in such stunts, the Court called on the State to enact tougher laws targeting wheeling.

“In light of the alarming increase in such incidents, it is the bounden duty of the State and enforcement agencies to introduce necessary statutory provisions and adopt stringent measures to suppress this dangerous trend,” the judge stated.

The Court highlighted that the act of wheeling not only endangers the lives of riders and pillion passengers but also poses a grave threat to public safety.

“Young motorcyclists wrongly equate wheeling with bravery, unaware of the life-threatening consequences. This reckless behaviour disrupts public order and peace,” the court noted.

The court said this while rejecting a bail application filed by a man accused of performing wheeling on a motorcycle with two pillion riders in October 2024.

According to the police, the stunt ended in a crash when officers attempted to intercept the vehicle. A confrontation followed, during which the accused allegedly abused the officers, caused injuries, and damaged government property by throwing a police phone into a canal.

While the accused maintained that he was falsely implicated due to a personal dispute with the police, the High Court was not convinced.

The judge also took into account the prosecution’s claim that the petitioner was a repeat offender and had behaved aggressively during the incident.

“Mere filing of the charge sheet cannot, by itself, justify bail. The petitioner is free to approach the appropriate court for bail if there is any significant change in circumstances,” the Court said in its concluding remarks.

Advocate Sadiq N Goodwala represented the petitioner, while Government Pleader Girija S Hiremath appeared for the State.