Ghatkopar resident gets 2-year jail term for assaulting traffic cop

A man in Mumbai has been sentenced to two years in prison for assaulting a traffic police constable who stopped him for riding without a helmet on Valentine's Day in 2019.

MUMBAI: The sessions court last week sentenced a 27-year-old Ghatkopar resident to two years imprisonment for assaulting a traffic police constable after he stopped his bike for riding without a helmet on Valentine’s Day in 2019.

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According to the prosecution, the case was registered with the Pant Nagar police station following a complaint lodged by traffic constable Sainath Sanap and the incident took place when he was on duty at Savitribai Phule Junction with one lady traffic constable on February 14, 2019.

He alleged that the accused, Krishna Shelar, arrived on a bike from the Pant Nagar police station with a lady riding as a pillion. Shelar was not wearing a helmet and therefore Sanap tried to stop him after he stopped when the constable asked the biker to take his bike a little backwards, he started abusing and threatening the constable. He also abused the lady constable accompanying Shelar. As the traffic police started levying fines on Shelar, he tried to run away from the spot.

The police claimed that when they tried to stop him, Shelar got down from the bike and assaulted the traffic constable and later also pushed the lady constable. It was claimed that even when the other officers reached the spot the accused managed to escape. He was arrested the next day. Shelar remained in prison for 16 months before he was released on bail in June 2020.

The court relied on the testimony of the traffic constables. The police officers also collected the footage from the CCTV cameras covering the spot. However, when the prosecution tried to play the Compact Disk containing the footage, it did not work because of a technical glitch. The prosecution also pointed out that Shelar was externed, but he had violated the externment order and entered the city

The court concluded, “there was ample evidence on record to prove the fact that the accused used criminal force against the informant and voluntarily caused simple hurt to him. This was with a clear intention to obstruct and deter the informant, a public servant from discharging his public duty,” and sentenced the 27-year-old to two years imprisonment.