The impartiality of Subarnapur police has been questioned after they imposed different sections of the IPC and MV Act in three accident cases against the drivers though they were of similar nature.
While the driver of Snigdharani Suna, a suspended Inspector of Police of Sundsargarh, whose car dashed with an auto rickshaw on NH-57 near Badbahali chowk in Subarnapur district on July 12, killing three on the spot, was given bail a day after his arrest, in two other accident cases in the district, the drivers have been sent to jail. It was alleged that since Suna was a cop, her driver’s case was made light so that the driver was let off easily.
Both Suna and her driver Ajay Jethi fled from the spot after the accident. The woman cop also switched off her mobile phone, though both were arrested from Balangir the same day. However, the case registered against driver Jethi was under IPC Sections 279/337/338/304-A and 181 MV Act. Jethi got bail after one day, which creates doubt on the cleanness on the police administration of Subarnapur.
Notably, a few days before, two accidents had occurred at Binka and Birmaharajpur area. In the Binka Hywa accident case, one person had died while the driver had no DL and valid insurance paper. In a bus accident in Naikpada of Brimaharajpur block, one person had died and the driver too had no DL and valid insurance papers. But in the two cases, police registered case against the drivers under IPC 304, which is non-bailable and both drivers are cooling their heels inside jail. Notably, Suna’s driver had also no DL and other documents.
“Although the accidents at Naikpada of Birmaharajpur block and at Binka and Badbahali chowk accident are same in nature, why did the police register different IPC sections,” asked senior lawyer- cum -social activist Baldev Bedbak.
Police knowingly registered cases to make the offence less serious in Suna’s case so that her driver gets bail. This was because a cop was involved in the case, added Bedbak.
When contacted, Additional SP Hemanta Kumar Padhi said that police have maintained impartially and the IPC sections were imposed in the t