Sergeant on helmet drive faces biker fury, 1 arrested

Kolkata: A routine traffic enforcement drive took a violent turn when a biker riding without a helmet allegedly dragged a police sergeant for a short distance while attempting to evade checking on Monday night at the intersection of Alipore Road and Chetla Central Road. The accused rider, Suman Banik, was arrested and sent to police custody after being produced before the Alipore Court on Tuesday. According to cops, a team from the Chetla Police Station was conducting a drive against helmetless riders and traffic violators. During the check, the on-duty police sergeant from Tollygunge traffic guard spotted Banik riding a bike without a helmet and signalled him to pull over. Instead of slowing down, the rider allegedly accelerated in a desperate bid to flee the spot. When the sergeant stepped forward to intercept the vehicle, the rider refused to stop, hitting the officer and dragging him along with the motorcycle for a short distance.Other police personnel had to step in and physically block the motorcycle and detain Banik. The injured sergeant was taken to a local hospital, where he received treatment for his injuries.Senior officers stated that a criminal case was registered against Banik under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for obstructing a public servant from discharging their duty and endangering life through rash driving. Kolkata Police stated that strict legal action will be taken against motorists who defy traffic laws and endanger law enforcement personnel. At a meeting at Lalbazar, the OCs and ACPs were instructed that no movement can be held up due to illegal parking "at any cost."