Traffic cops tow car with a 12 year-old sleeping inside

Traffic cops in Chandigarh towed a car parked in a no-parking area, even as a 12 year-old kid was sleeping in the car. Head constable Subhash and Home Guards volunteer Jagseer has been suspended for negligence while carrying out their duty.

The car was parked in Chandigarh’s Sector 34, outside Apni Mandi. The owner of the car, Mohali-based Rajesh, and his wife parked the car and went to buy vegetables. They had left their sleeping 12 year-old son in the car. Unmindful of the child in the car, the cops towed it away.

A message of car theft and child kidnapping was flashed, and the car’s registration number was beamed on the Chandigarh police’s wireless network. The cops towing the car away realized their mistake and the child, along with the car was returned to the owner. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP, traffic, south) Rajiv Kumar Ambasta, said this about the incident,

We have initiated departmental inquiry against the two employees, who have been negligent

This is not the first instance where traffic police in India have towed away a wrongly parked car with people inside it. A few weeks ago, a similar incident happened in Mumbai, where a traffic cop towed away a car with a woman and child still inside the car. Such towing is illegal, and the cop in Mumbai was also reprimanded for the same.

While erring cops are being punished for towing the car without ascertaining if a person is present in the car, it is important for car owners to park properly. Also, it is not a good practice to leave children unattended in a car. There have been incidents of many children suffocating in parked cars. This is something that is very dangerous, especially in the summer months. So, as car owners, it is important for parents not to leave kids in cars.

Via HindustanTimes