Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Traffic Police have registered a suo motu case after a boy’s head struck a height barrier while standing through a car’s sunroof in Vidyaranyapura’s 7th Block, GKVK Double Road, on September 6 around 1 p.m. The incident involved a red Mahindra SUV and was narrowly averted from turning fatal.

Police confirmed that the case has been booked under Sections 125(A) and 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Yelahanka Traffic Police said legal action will follow. As per the law, reckless acts endangering others’ life or safety attract punishment under BNS Section 125(A). If no injury is caused, the penalty could be up to three months in jail, a fine of ₹2,500, or both.

Experts have reiterated that standing through a car sunroof is illegal under Sections 177 and 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act. “The sunroof is designed to provide ventilation and light, not for passengers to stand during travel. Using it for fun is a clear violation of traffic rules,” said automobile expert Siddarth Shivappa.

Tracing the feature’s history, Shivappa noted that the sunroof was first used in 1937 in a Nash car in the US, later adopted by Ford in 1955, before spreading to Europe and Japan. In India, it was first introduced in the 1995 Opel Astra and later became common even in mid-range cars.

However, the expert warned that its misuse in India has become a dangerous trend. “Police must take strict action against such irresponsible behaviour,” he added.