Hand-held speed guns have now been introduced on the 165-km-long Yamuna Expressway to check drivers who manage to evade the speed detector cameras on the expressway.

On the first day on Sunday, the speed gun found at least 27 cars cruising at nearly 167 km per hour.

An Agra registered hatchback touched 162 kmph at milestone 148. Ten minutes later, a Gwalior registered SUV was found trying to overtake the hatchback at 167 kmph.

Major (retired) Manish Singh, coordinator in-charge of Yamuna Expressway, said: “There are 18 speed detector cameras installed on the expressway — a set of three cameras each on milestone 46, 66, 111, 104, 108 and 122.

“However, motorists continue to drive at high speed on this stretch. The drivers cleverly slow down their vehicles on noticing a high iron mast with speed cameras, and accelerate soon after crossing the monitoring area.”

He further said: “We have, therefore, decided to use hand-held speed guns at random locations to catch speeding drivers.”

The E-way team, at present, has focused to use speed guns between milestones 148 and 165.

Notably, several steps have been taken since July 8 when a speeding Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation bus fell into a deep drain near milestone 161 after jumping off the flyover. At least 29 passengers were killed and 25 injured in the fatal accident.

Singh further said that the innovative measure will also address the Agra traffic police’s concerns.

“The Agra police had often stated that speeding vehicles were being screened by security cameras at milestone 122 in Mathura jurisdiction. And these camera footages were then sent for processing at Agra toll plaza.

“The practice violated jurisdictions of the two district police. With no such cameras in Agra district limits, the use of hand-held speed guns will now help the Agra traffic police to curb flouting motorists,” he explained.

An infant injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district succumbed on Monday at a hospital, police said.

The infant, along with two more civilians were injured in the Pakistani shelling and firing on the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday

The Pakistan Army had resorted to unprovoked shelling and firing in Shahpur and Saujiyan sectors of the LoC to which the Indian Army also retaliated.

The Indian and Pakistani armies exchanged heavy fire on the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district after Pakistan troops resorted to unprovoked firing, a defence official said.

Defence Ministry spokesman, Lt Col Devender Anand said: ” At about 5 p.m., Pakistan initiated an unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing small arms and shelling with mortars along the LoC in Shahpur and Saujiyan sectors of Poonch.”

“The Indian army is retaliating befittingly,” he added.

An Indian soldier was killed in a Pakistani ceasefire violation on the LoC in Machil sector of Kupwara district on Saturday.