Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Sep 7: Even the chief minister’s car isn’t above the law. A vehicle used by chief minister Siddaramaiah has been penalised for seven separate traffic violations since early 2024, traffic police sources confirmed on Saturday.

The violations, captured by cameras installed at city junctions under the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), include six instances of not wearing a seatbelt and one case of overspeeding.

According to sources, the Chief Minister’s Office has paid a total fine of Rs 2,500, availing the 50% discount currently offered by the state government on pending traffic penalties.

The violations occurred while CM Siddaramaiah was travelling in a Toyota Innova. In each case, he was reportedly seated in the front passenger seat without wearing a seatbelt, an offence under traffic laws. The most recent violation occurred in August, while others were recorded between January and July 2024.

Where were the violations recorded?

Details of the offences include:

• Jan 24, 12:19 pm: Caught at Leela Palace Junction on Old Airport Road without a seatbelt.

• Feb & Aug: Two more violations recorded at the same junction.

• Mar: Spotted without a seatbelt at Chandrika Hotel Junction.

• Aug: Similar offences recorded at Shivananda Circle and Darash Kumar Statue Junction.

• July 9: Vehicle caught overspeeding on the Kempegowda International Airport Express Corridor. 

All incidents were flagged and recorded through the ITMS’s high-resolution surveillance systems.

Fines paid, confirms police

A senior official from the Bengaluru Traffic Police Division confirmed that all fines related to the CM’s vehicle have now been settled. The cases were closed after the CM’s office made the payment under the government’s current 50% traffic fine waiver scheme.

“The cases were treated as per procedure, and the fine was paid like in any other case,” the official said. 

The incident has once again sparked public interest around VIP accountability, traffic enforcement, and the role of technology in ensuring that no one is above the law—not even the state’s top elected leader.