Bhopal: Instead Of Catching Criminals, Cops Penalising Commuters At Checkpoints

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Vehicle checking drive by local police stations instead of traffic cops launched in the evenings are causing traffic inconvenience and chaos.

While police officials say that cops have been instructed to check vehicles to nab suspects, commuters claim that they are being stopped for not wearing helmets/belts or on other excuses.

It is worth mentioning that on Thursday, a woman riding a scooter was allegedly slapped by a head constable posted at Awadhpuri police station.

She claimed that cops stopped her for not wearing helmet at a checkpoint and started misbehaving with her. An FIR was registered against the head constable and he was attached to police lines.

Commuters claim that checkpoints and barricades are installed by cops across the city during evenings. Instead of checking vehicles, two-wheeler and four-wheeler owners are stopped for violation of traffic rules including for not wearing helmets, seat belts etc.

Instead of catching criminals, patrolling dark spots and taking action against those consuming liquor around liquor shops in the evenings, cops are busy penalising traffic rule violators, a person who was fined for not wearing a helmet said.

‘When there are cameras installed across the city for penalising traffic rule violators, there is no point in intercepting commuters for the same offence. Moreover, traffic cops are not present when commuters are intercepted for violation of traffic rules.

Instead of checking vehicles for weapons and other contrabands, cops at police stations are harassing people on excuse of traffic rules, a commuter said while adding that such checking drives in peak hours is causing traffic congestion on different routes.

Scared of action against them, youths can be seen turning their bikes on busy routes ahead of checkpoints which may pose threat of road mishaps, another commuter added.

Meanwhile, Bhopal Police Commissioner Harinarayanachari Mishra said police checking is aimed at catching suspects roaming around with weapons etc. Action will be taken on complaints of any misbehaviour with commuters, he added.