Five citizens of Thailand presently studying in the Aligarh Muslim University ignored the rules and rode on scooters to Nainital without wearing helmets.

However, the police in Nainital did not ignore facts and stopped the riders as they reached the Mallital area of the lake city. After basic questioning, the police penalised the five scooter riders Rs 500 for not wearing helmets before letting them proceed.

Tuesday afternoon saw the arrival of five AMU students riding scooters arriving in the Nainital without wearing helmets. The silencers of the scooters had been modified due to which the noise generated by the scooters was lounder than usual.

The police personnel on duty stopped the riders and asked them to show the necessary papers. One of the riders showed a photo of the registration certificate on his mobile phone but his name was not mentioned in the said document.

The riders stated that they are citizens of Thailand who are currently studying in the AMU.  They rode to Nainital from Aligarh to celebrate the New Year while lodging at a hotel in the lake city.

The police collected Rs 500 penalty from each of the five youth for violating traffic rules before letting them go. Observers point out that the police observed the rules while also using their discretion.  Had a local been caught riding without helmet and papers, the two-wheeler would have been seized and the penalty would have been heftier.

However, considering the fact that the riders were foreigners who are studying in India, the police penalised them but still acted leniently against them.