Bengaluru: Disabled motorist taken for a ride by traffic cop

BENGALURU: Next time you are stopped by traffic cops for routine check. Beware! For questioning them may land you in trouble. In one such instance, a motorist invited the ire of a traffic police constable attached to Peenya traffic police when he asked the cop to return his papers.

The erring cop allegedly hurled abuses at the rider, illegally detained his motorbike, made him wait at the police station for over eight hours and booked him in a false drunken drive case.  The harassment did not end here. To add to the misery, the cop slapped a wrong challan to the victim with another vehicle number.

The alleged incident took place on late Saturday night around 10 pm in Peenya traffic police station limits. A 36-year-old Manjunath Prabhu M, a resident of Nelagadaranahalli village and an employee in a private firm was on his way home when he was stopped by the erring cop identified as Chandra Shekhar who along with other two policemen was conducting night routine check.

In his complaint to the police, Manjunath Prabhu, who is partially disabled alleged that he was heading home after finishing work when a few traffic policemen intercepted him and asked him to produce the vehicular documents. The victim furnished the documents which were updated and was waiting for the cop to release his vehicle. But, he was forced to stand in for over 40 minutes on the road.

Unable to bear the pain, Manjunath questioned the cops on duty for the reason behind the delay of his vehicle’s release. The police constable identified as Chandra Shekhar attached to the Peenya police station allegedly started abusing Manjunath. To his utter shock, when Manjunath tried reasoning with constable Chandra Shekhar he was allegedly threatened, and a false case was filed against him.

According to the victim, the police constable, Chandra Shekhar slapped a notice to Manjunath of a vehicle no bearing - KA-04-HM-5787 at around 10.45 p.m. instead of KA-04 HN- 5487 (Manjunath’s vehicle).

Despite Manujanth’s many requests and questions to the erring constable pleading to release his vehicle, the constable directed him to come and collect the vehicle on Sunday morning 7 am where he was made to sit over 8-long-hours to get the vehicle released.

“After waiting till afternoon 3 am from 7 am on Sunday, Chandra Shekhar did not release the vehicle and instead again seized the documents. When Manjunath along with his friend questioned the erring cop, as to how he can issue a challan of a different vehicle owner on him, the constable said that he knew how to edit the vehicle number in the system and he would not return the vehicle. After discussing the matter with the inspector of Peenya traffic police, the victim got his vehicle released on late Monday noon.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, DCP Traffic (West) S Girish told, “Its mandatory to carry the original documents of the vehicle and produce it before the police who ask for it. But in this case, I am not aware what exactly happened and I will seek a report from the local police and take action if there is any lapse on the part of the traffic cop.”