Chennai: A man was arrested after his 15-year-old son knocked down a sub-inspector near TP Chathiram police booth on Wednesday.Police said the incident happened on Kilpauk Garden Road, where special sub-inspector Muthukrishnan was conducting a vehicle inspection with head constable Kumar and home guard Gokul. They said the boy, who tried speeding away, hit Muthukrishnan when he tried to stop him. The officer suffered injuries on his head and was admitted to Govt Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital where his condition is stable, according to doctors.Based on a complaint lodged by Muthukrishnan, Kilpauk traffic investigation wing registered a case and detained the teenager. Under Motor Vehicles Act, underage driving is treated as driving without a valid licence and attracts penalties for both the minor and parent/guardian. The minor can be lodged in a juvenile home and barred from obtaining a driving licence until the age of 25, while parents/guardians can face a jail term of up to three years and a fine or ₹25,000.Police arrested the boy’s father, Sandeep Kumar, 45, a resident of T P Chathiram. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody. The juvenile was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, which initiated appropriate legal proceedings against him.As of June 2026, at least eight parents have been arrested in similar cases. In 2025, police booked 58 cases against parents and others for permitting minors to ride vehicles.
