The deplorable attack on a woman by a Delhi Police head constable has once again exposed the corrupt face of Delhi Traffic Police personnel who often indulge in illegal challaning and harassing the motorists in the national Capital. Delhi Police top brass however, claimed that they take actions whenever such complaints come to them.
The incident in which a head constable on Monday brutally attacked a woman with a brick in the posh Golf links area raises many serious questions. Many Delhi residents have often complained of undue harassment by Traffic Police, be it those who drive private vehicles or commercial vehicles.
An auto driver, who claims to regularly pay cops hafta, said that if you pay cops protection money, you can drive your vehicle without the necessary documentation.
Aneesh Talukdar, a resident of Neb Sarai, alleges that many autorickshaws and gramin sewa vehicles carry more than double the passengers permissible and Traffic Police don’t take any action against them.
“While on the other hand, a person who follows all traffic rules gets challaned for the slightest of offences, and sometimes without an offence at all. I am not saying small offences should be ignored, but the outright criminal ones like overcharging by autos and overloading of passengers should be dealt with the same seriousness. Traffic Police officials just look the other way in such cases,” he rued.
Gautam Sharma, a resident of Rohini, alleges that he was almost taken for a ride by a traffic cop for driving under influence of alcohol. “I have had just one beer and a traffic cop stopped me and conducted the breathalyzer test. He said I was over the limit. It was only after I Googled the permissible limit and showed it to him, did he let me go,” he said, adding it’s often not the action that they take that is the problem, but their rude behavior is.
“Traffic Police sometimes deliberately challan our vehicles and then refuse to let go of us even if we are not at fault. The language used by the officers is borders on the offensive,” said Vandana Chandra, 23-year-old resident of Katwaria Sarai.
Aneesha Bedi, a resident of Mayur Vihar, adds that there have been times when she has been challaned for no reason. “It gets very tough to deal with Traffic Police on roads. I think they need a crash course in propriety,” said.
A resident of Pitampura said that while he was fined a few days ago for obstruction of traffic, the traffic official behaved well. “Actions of one person cannot characterise the whole force,” he said. When asked for his views on the rampant corruption in the traffic unit, Special Commissioner of Police Muktesh Chander claimed that they always take action against their men and officers found guilty.