The Uttar Pradesh government has proposed an ordinance to ensure that serious traffic offences such as drunken driving, repeat violations and cases involving mandatory jail terms do not lapse automatically over time.
The proposed Uttar Pradesh Criminal Law (Composition of Offences and Abatement of Trials) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 seeks to amend Section 9 of the 1979 state law after the Supreme Court raised concerns over provisions that allowed certain Motor Vehicles Act cases to abate automatically.
DGP Rajeev Krishna said the move would strengthen enforcement by ensuring that habitual and serious offenders remain under judicial scrutiny. “This is an important legal and administrative step toward strengthening road safety enforcement in the state. Serious traffic violations such as drunken driving, dangerous driving and repeat offences cannot be treated as routine matters. Such cases have a direct bearing on public safety and loss of human lives on roads,” he said.
He added that the amendment would prevent offenders from escaping prosecution due to delays. “The objective is to restore deterrence in traffic enforcement. Once offenders know that grave violations will continue to face trial and cannot lapse automatically with time, it will improve compliance with traffic rules and help reduce road fatalities,” Krishna said.
Krishna further said the move aligns with the police’s Zero Fatality Drive and broader road safety campaign focused on enforcement and awareness. “Road safety is not limited to challans or periodic drives. It requires sustained enforcement, legal certainty and behavioural change. This amendment strengthens all three aspects,” he said.
Additional director general (traffic) A Satish Ganesh said the ordinance would improve compliance and strengthen enforcement.
A senior traffic official explained that earlier, if fines were not paid and cases remained pending for a specified period, proceedings could end without trial or punishment. “After this ordinance, such cases will no longer lapse merely with the passage of time,” the official said.
In a press note issued on Tuesday, the state government said the amendment follows the Supreme Court’s November 20, 2025 order in S Rajaseekaran vs Union of India and Others.
As per the proposal placed before the court, three categories of offences will not abate automatically: non-compoundable offences, offences involving mandatory imprisonment, and repeat offences.
Officials said the ordinance aims to plug a legal gap flagged by the court, where offenders in serious cases could avoid prosecution due to delays. The issue gained attention after earlier amendments led to the large-scale closure of pending Motor Vehicles Act cases, including serious violations.
The Supreme Court was earlier informed through a state affidavit that a high-level meeting chaired by the chief secretary on January 9, 2026 decided to amend the law to exclude serious traffic offences from automatic abatement.
