Complete trials of persons who attacked traffic cops in one month: High Court
| Date :22-Oct-2020 |
Staff Reporter :
SENDING a tough message to persons indulging in attacking and intimidating traffic constables on duty, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed District and Sessions Court to complete trial ofsuchassaulterswithinamonth. During last one year, eight instances of slapping, beating or assaulting traffic cops on duty took place in the city and in six ofsuchcasesthechargesheethas already been filed. A division bench consisting of Justice Ravi Deshpande and JusticePushpaGanediwalawhile hearingasuo-motu PIL about traffic violations by reckless teenagers,directedthepoliceofficials to send details of these cases to District and Sessions Judge so that cases could be decided within a month after committed to sessions court.
The Principal District and Sessions Judge has also been asked to see that the concernedMagistrateactsexpeditiously to commit the case to the Sessions Court. During last hearing, the High Court had issued a stern warning to all law-breakers raising handagainsttraffic copsonduty andhadstronglyadvocatedapolicyofzerotoleranceagainstsuch attackers.
The High Court had alsoordered swiftprosecutionof all such assaulters and sought stepstoprotecttheconstableson duty from such miscreants. State Government also submitted a communication about stepsformulatedtopreventsuch attacks.ButtheHighCourtsought something concrete and noted after some meetings,amore appropriate affidavit could be filed.Inresponsetoorderregarding installation of traffic booths, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation promised to complete the work of erecting traffic booths at the identified places withinthreemonths.NMCcounselAdv SudhirPuranik informed thatthemodelofthetrafficbooth was prepared and approved by the Deputy Commissioner of Traffic and volunteered to bring ittocourtpremises.However,the HighCourtaskedtheamicuscuriae Adv Shreerang Bhandarkarto look into it and make suggestions, if any, and directed NMC to file a progress report after a month. DCP (Traffic) in his affidavit also informed about procurementof1000bodyworncameras fortrafficconstables“tominimise obstruction in discharge of official duties and also to ensure transparency and accountabilitywhileperformingtheirduties.”
The device will be provided to traffic constables and other beat marshals and men in police stations on visible police duties. “This camera would be effective in monitoring the performance of the traffic constables, apart from protecting them from false allegations/complaints against them.” High Court asked the Home Departmentto take expeditious decision on this issue. Amicus curiae Shreerang Bhandarkar, GP Sumant Deopujari, Adv Sudhir Puranik (NMC), AdvSS Sanyal (MPCB), Adv A A Kathane (NHAI), Adv R OChhabra(NIT)SeniorAdvocate S K Mishra and Adv Kaustubh Deogade (Metro) appeared in the matter.