Man dies of heart attack during traffic checking, Gzb police orders probe

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad police Tuesday identified the two traffic constables, who were allegedly present at the spot where a 34-year-old man reportedly died of

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad police Tuesday identified the two traffic constables, who were allegedly present at the spot where a 34-year-old man reportedly died of a heart attack after a heated argument with the policemen on Sunday.

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Police said the incident took place on NH-9 near Indirapuram when Gaurav Sharma, a resident of Shatabdi Vihar in Noida’s Sector 52 and an employee of a Gurugram software company, and his family were returning from Delhi.

Sharma stopped his vehicle for checking and the personnel allegedly walked up to his vehicle and started hitting the bonnet with their batons. This resulted in a heated argument between Sharma and the constables, after which he soon collapsed and complained of breathing difficulties. Sharma was rushed by his family to Noida’s Kailash Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Senior officers of the Ghaziabad police said though they have not received a complaint from the family till Tuesday night, they have taken suo motu cognizance of the incident and initiated an inquiry against the policemen.

“The two traffic constables have been identified. We have not received any complaint from the family so far. In case we do, we will take it up accordingly. However, from our end, we have initiated an inquiry which will be done by an officer of the rank of superintendent of police. If there is any wrongdoing or negligence on part of the two constables, we will take appropriate action against them,” Sudhir Kumar Singh, senior superintendent of police, Ghaziabad, said.

The Noida police on Monday evening had said that, “After inquiry, it came to light that the deceased was prima facie diabetic and he died of an heart attack.”

With a steep hike in penalty amounts for traffic rule violations under the Motor Vehicles’ Act from September 1, motorists are wary of traffic enforcement personnel in the city.

Sharma’s father Moolchand said, “We understand that traffic rules have changed but there is a way of enforcement. You can politely ask people to stop the car for checking. You can take action if something is wrong. Two elderly people were also travelling in the vehicle. But banging a lathi (baton) on the car is not a rule.”