Driver parks truck on road, flees with key after scuffle with cops in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: A scuffle between a container truck driver and traffic police near NICE Road in Electronics City, southeast Bengaluru, severely affected traffic on Hosur Road for more than an hour and ended in a mild lathicharge Wednesday night.

The truck driver, identified as Rizwan, parked his vehicle in the middle of the road, blocking the entire carriageway. He escaped after alleging that traffic police were demanding a bribe from him.
Other truck drivers gathered at the spot and staged an impromptu protest that culminated in police resorting to mild caning to clear the blockage. Police, however, maintain that it was not a demand for a bribe.
They said they only fined the truck driver for violating traffic rules. According to deputy commissioner of police (trafficsouth) Shiva Prakash Devaraju, the movement of goods vehicles is banned in the city during peak hours between 4.30pm and 8.30pm.
However, the Nagalandregistered container truck entered Hosur Road from NICE Road in Electronics City Phase 1 around 8pm.
Electronics City traffic police personnel, on duty at the spot, stopped the truck and asked the driver to park it on the service road for half an hour, explaining that the movement of heavy vehicles is banned on the road during peak hours, Devaraju said.
The driver refused to heed the staff ’s instructions and continued to drive towards the city. Police stopped the vehicle and tried to convince the driver to take it to the service road. During the argument, the driver didn’t follow the police instructions for almost 30 minutes.
As he was causing obstruction to the traffic on the highway, police finally decided to fine him. They booked him for four offences including parking on the main road and obstruction of traffic.
The fine amount was Rs 2,000. As the driver abused and fought with police and escaped by abandoning the vehicle, a case was registered against him at the law and order police station, Devaraju said.
The driver has been booked for obstructing police from discharging their duty and assaulting them. The entire incident has been captured on the body-worn camera of the staff, he added.