Harassment slur on traffic cops

Patna: Ever since use of helmet was made mandatory for pillion riders, complaints of traffic police personnel harassing people have become quite common in the city.
On Sunday, visitors to Eco Park faced a problem of different kind. One Anil Kumar, who had gone to the park along with his family members, told TOI over phone that policemen stopped two-wheelers and four-wheelers on the charge of violating traffic norms.“Instead of fining them on the spot, the cops asked the people to go to the Secretariat police station to pay fine. In the process, at least 50 people were forced to walk to the police station to collect challan and pay fine as their vehicles were seized,” Kumar said. “We are ready to pay the fine, but the way policemen are harassing us is not acceptable,” he added.
Rekha Kumari, a resident of Boring Road, said, “My husband and I were riding a battery operated two-wheeler which does not require any license or registration from the DTO office. Even helmet is not required according to the sale memo. It has the maximum speed of 25-km and is just like a bicycle. But the policemen near the Boring Road crossing temple frisked us. They misbehaved with my husband when he tried to explain to them the norms for a battery operated two-wheeler. I have submitted a written complaint to the traffic SP. Hope he will take action,” she said.
Traffic SP P K Das, however, said he had so far not received any such complaint. “Usually, traffic police personnel carry challan books with them,” the SP added.
City SP (central) Chandan Kushwaha said the policemen were from anti-rash driving cell. “They were perhaps running short of challan books,” he added. Kushwaha, however, said the traffic police personnel have been asked to avoid such situations in future.