Haryana DGP flags dangerous SUV behaviour: 'Thar is not a car, it’s a statement'

Singh cited multiple incidents of unsafe driving involving Thars, including passengers riding on roof racks, standing on sideboards, and even crashes resulting from such stunts.

Haryana Director General of Police OP Singh has sparked debate after suggesting that drivers of Mahindra Thar SUVs are more likely to engage in dangerous and reckless behaviour on the roads.

Speaking to reporters while discussing traffic enforcement and vehicle-checking protocols, Singh said, “If it’s a Thar, how can we let it go? People who drive Thars perform stunts on the road.” He added that the choice of vehicle often reflects the driver’s mindset, describing the Thar as “not a car, it’s a statement which says ‘this is how I am.’”

Singh cited multiple incidents of unsafe driving involving Thars, including passengers riding on roof racks, standing on sideboards, and even crashes resulting from such stunts. He also referenced a case in which the son of a police official, driving a Thar, ran over someone, emphasizing that powerful SUVs can be misused if drivers act irresponsibly.

Turning to a lighter tone, Singh remarked about police officers themselves, joking that those who own Thars must be “a little crazy".

Notably, Singh’s comments come as authorities report a growing trend of Mahindra Thars being involved in dangerous stunts and reckless driving. These incidents have ranged from passengers riding on rooftops, students falling off sideboards, and vehicles crashing into electric poles, to even people urinating from moving Thars. Several of these cases have resulted in serious injuries and fatalities in recent years.