Stopped at junction, woman loses cool with traffic cops

NT Correspondent

Frustrated after being stopped to allow the convoy of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai move ahead, a woman got down from her car and started arguing with the traffic policemen at Chalukya Circle in the City on Wednesday afternoon.

The woman was seen arguing with a traffic police assistant sub-inspector and another traffic police constable . She screamed at the policemen saying it was getting late for her to go to court. She also said that a patient was also struck in the traffic that has been halted. The two policemen who followed her allowed the traffic to move. The traffic police constable was also seen taking the video of the woman.

Things got ugly for the traffic policemen on the spot as a vernacular news channel which was at the spot started recording it. A traffic police officer started shouting at the cameraman asking him not to record. The cameraman told the cop that he was just doing his duty and expected the same from the latter.

Terming himself a common man and to avoid inconvenience to motorists, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has refused ‘zero traffic’ facility for his convoy or motorcade. Following his direct iv e , t h e city police h a d eve n issued an order cancelling the facility. The order came into effect from August, last year.

Joint Commissioner of Traffic Ravikanthe Gowda had issued a press note in this regard after the CM expressed a desire not to have special privileges. Instead of ‘zero traffic’ when his convoy passes, the chief minister will have signal free movement. Home Minister Araga Jnanendra had also refused ‘z ero traffic’ movement for the CM’s convoy.

Ruckus over traffic fine in Vijaynagar

Bengaluru, Feb. 9: After the recent towing incidents in Halasuru Gate and JB Nagar traffic police limits that created uproar, another similar incident happened in Vijayanagar traffic police station limits on Wednesday. This time a traffic police sub-inspector attached to the Vijayanagar traffic police station is accused of manhandling a bike rider after he refused to pay traffic fine saying that he would pay it in the jurisdictional traffic court.

The biker was stopped for violating traffic. Since he did not have money to pay the fine on the spot, he sought some time. Angry over the incident, a traffic cop assaulted the biker, took his helmet and threw it in a gutter. The victim made a video of the entire incident. The biker claimed that he was forcibly taken to the police station and was made to give an undertaking mentioning that he was at fault.

The biker has been identified as Manjunath, a resident of JP Nagar. The incident happened on Tuesday between 3.45 pm and 4 pm near the MC Circle on the Vijaynagar Club Road. The Vijayanagar traffic police under the supervision of sub-inspector Chandrashekar were on a vehicle checking drive. The biker was found using a shrill horn and was stopped by the traffic police. The horn is usually used in cars.

Manjunath has released a video on social media reportedly shot by him after he was allegedly manhandled by the sub-inspector. The SI, upset when the video was being made, is seen trying to snatch the mobile from the biker. While pulling the mobile from the biker, the SI sustained an abrasion on his neck. The sub-inspector is seen taking the helmet of the biker and throwing it into the gutter. Manjunath is heard saying why he was being beaten. The biker is heard repeatedly saying that he was beaten by the SI.

“After the bike was stopped, the rider admitted his mistake. When he was asked to pay the fine, he started making a video accusing me of attacking him. The bike was taken to the station and released in the night,” Chandrashekar told ‘NT’

The sub-inspector said he did not beat the rider. “The bike was released at around 8 pm as I had to rush for work at the Joint Commissioner Traffic’s office. The fine was paid on Wednesday. The biker has issued an apology letter,” he added.