Subhash Bojne, a resident of Athani in Belagavi district, received a Rs 500 e‑challan on his WhatsApp on Saturday after an AI‑enabled traffic camera at Ambedkar Circle photographed his car and recorded a violation stating “Helmet not worn.” The fine was issued despite the vehicle being a four‑wheeler, a technical glitch that caused the system to misclassify the car as a two‑wheeler. Traffic police forwarded the notice without re‑examining the image.
In response, Bojne staged a protest by wearing a helmet inside his car and driving while filming the act, joking, “Do we now have to wear helmets while driving a car?” The video quickly went viral on social media, sparking statewide discussion about the reliability of AI‑based traffic enforcement tools.
