Bengaluru traffic cops suspended for taking Rs 2,500 as bribe for carrying washbasin in car

A Traffic police Assistant Sub-Inspector and head constable of Bengaluru Police were recently suspended from duty. The cops were suspended from duty after an allegation of taking bribe was raised against them. According to reports, both the officers who were on duty at Devanga junction, Bengaluru took bribe from a motorist for carrying a wash basin inside a car. The officers in question here are Assistant SI Mahesh D C and head constable Gangadharappa of Halasur gate traffic police station.

The incident took place on June 10. Both the officers were controlling the traffic at Devanga junction when they stopped a car driven by a person named Santosh Kumar from Kerala. After Santosh stopped the car, the cops told him that it was actually a violation of traffic rules to carry a wash basin inside the car. According to  joint commissioner of police (crime) Ravikanthe Gowda B R, the cops initially demanded a fine of Rs 20,000 and later gave Santosh an option to settle the matter by paying Rs 2,500. Santosh paid the cops Rs 2,500 and soon after that he wrote a detailed email to the senior officials in the police department. Joint Commissioner mentioned that the officers have been suspended from duty as they were found irresponsible at work during the initial probe.

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The incident became viral on social media. Several residents from Bengaluru have come forward with complaints. One of them said, “When Praveen Sood was ACP traffic, he had banned stopping vehicles for checking documents. You could be stopped only for an offence. Now with Praveen Sood as DGP, stopping vehicles everywhere is a daily phenomenon!” Director General of Police, Praveen Sood cleared things on social media and said that no vehicles should be stopped if it has not committed any traffic violation.

Replying to the tweet by the Bengaluru resident, DGP said, “Yes I stand by it & reiterate again… no vehicle SHALL BE STOPPED only for checking documents unless it has committed a traffic violation visible to the naked eye. Only exception is drunken driving. Have instructed @CPBlr (Bengaluru city police commissioner) & @jointcptraffic (Joint commissioner of police, Bengaluru (traffic) for its implementation immediately.”

This is not the first time, something like this has happened. Many people have come forward saying that the police officers on duty have often stopped their vehicles in the middle of the road creating problems and threat for themselves and other road users. Many of them have also raised the issue saying that police is keen of penalising motorists that managing the traffic on the road.

Bengaluru city traffic is considered one of the worst in the country. Till May 31 this year, Bengaluru city traffic police has booked 37,07,312 cases under Motor Vehicle Act against motorists. Through these cases, the department has collected around Rs 69.74 crore from traffic violations. Last year, the department had collected a whopping Rs 140 crore from fine. This is not the first time allegations like this have come against cops on duty. The department has taken necessary action against such officers as well.

Via: The Indian Express

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