Caught on video traffic police vs traders at Erragadda market

Hyderabad: A video of a war of words between a traffic sub-inspector and vegetable and fruit vendors at the Erragadda market is doing the rounds on the Internet. Vendors allege that the cop hurled abuses at them. The incident reportedly occurred on July 12. 

Hyderabad traffic police claimed, however, that its man was just doing his job of keeping the vendors and their wares off the roads, a routine affair around the market and one that causes traffic jams everyday. A similar confrontation had occurred in February this year. 

Despite repeatedly telling them not to occupy the roads with their wares, the vendors continue to do so and put up obstructions to traffic, SR Nagar Traffic police said, denying that the sub-inspector had abused the vendors. Police has registered a complaint against the vendors. 

SR Nagar police inspector V.V.S. Ramalinga Raju said, “Vegetable and fruit vendors occupy half the road everyday, keeping their pushcarts and fruit baskets all along the stretch. It has become our routine to educate them everyday to remove their pushcarts from the roads.”

He added, “A similar incident occurred on February 25 when I, along with my team, tried to clear the encroachments. The vendors abused me and we lodged a complaint against them at SR Nagar police station. We don’t abuse anyone, our job is only to educate the vendors about the problems they cause by encroaching on the roads. Instead of understanding the problem and solving it, they argue and fight with us everyday.”

Joint Traffic Commissioner Dr V. Ravinder dismissed allegations that the police abused the vendors. “Our cops do not use abusive language or fight with anyone after having been provided behaviour orientation classes. They just try to keep the vendors off the roads everyday because the vendors tend to block traffic and cause traffic jams towards Kukatpally. We do not encourage our subordinates to use abusive language against anyone. We are enquiring into this matter.”