Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued guidelines in pursuance of order dated 29.10.2014 in W.P. No. 235 of 2012 of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India to protect the Good Samaritans in case of road accidents. As par Para 1 (7) and (8) of the guidelines dated 12th May, 2015, Standard Operating Procedures for the examination of Good Samaritans by the Police or during trial has been issued by the Ministry on 21st January 2016 envisaging the procedures to be followed for the examination of an eyewitness to a road accident, so that the witness does not get harassed. 

The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India vide its order dated 30th March 2016 have approved both the guidelines dated 12.05.2015 and 21.01.2016 with slight modification and directed that these guidelines, as modified, be complied with by the Union Territories and all the functionaries of the State Governments as law laid down by the Court under Article 32 read with Article 142 of the Constitution of India and the same be treated as binding as per the mandate of Article 141.

This information was given by the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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NP/MS