Jammu and Kashmir police ask autorickshaw drivers to remove hidden cavities

Jammu and Kashmir police have put the focus on autorickshaws moving in Srinagar city and asked the owners and drivers not to keep cavities and cabins holding passengers’ seats hidden.

Jammu and Kashmir police have put the focus on auto-rickshaws moving in Srinagar city and asked the owners and drivers not to keep cavities and cabins holding passengers’ seats hidden.

Jammu and Kashmir officials said recently they have seen an increase in some crimes like carrying and consuming narcotics and crimes against women which were committed using autorickshaws with concealed cavities. (HT File Photo/ Representational image)

Officials said that recently they have seen an increase in some crimes like carrying and consuming narcotics and crimes against women which were committed using autos with concealed cavities.

“All auto-rickshaw owners/drivers are requested to remove the hidden cavities, concealing the rear seat wherein nothing is visible from outside. Some crimes have come to notice where such autos were used to commit a crime,” the Srinagar police said in a tweet.

The police started a drive on the roads by removing both the side windows of the cabin in the autos meant for the passengers.

In many parts of the city, police were seen removing the side windows of the autos and then confiscating them.

SSP, Srinagar, Rakesh Balawal said they have seen autos becoming a vehicle for the commission of crimes.

“There have been cases where accused have used these types of autos for theft, narcotics and crimes against women. Sometimes they run away in these autos or do criminal activities sitting inside. These autos act like vehicles with tinted film on windows,” he said.

Auto drivers and owners have expressed their resentment on the abrupt drive started by the police.

“The police had earlier said that we should remove one side window which we did, but now suddenly they are stopping every one of us on roads and confiscating the second window as well,” said an auto-rickshaw driver.

He said that they were not against the spirit behind the directive but removing both the windows in a place like Kashmir which sees extreme cold and rains for many months of the year was unfair. “We will lose daily customers by this directive,” he said.

“Kashmir has extreme winter conditions for months and then there are weeks of the rainy season. Nobody would travel in autos in such seasons. There are also people with children who fear travelling in autos owing to open windows. One open window would have served the purpose,” he said.