Policemen led by their senior officer in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura thrashed the staff at a toll plaza on the Agra-Delhi highway, and allegedly looted cash after the boom barrier fell on their vehicle that was passing through the area, officials said on Thursday.
The incident took place at 10.45pm on Tuesday when circle officer (CO) of the Refinery area in Mathura, Nitin Kumar, was crossing the Mahuwan Toll Plaza. The barrier in the VIP gallery suddenly fell on his official vehicle, which angered Kumar.
Policemen from Farah and Refinery police stations reached the spot and Kumar allegedly led them in beating up the toll staff and the incident was captured on a CCTV camera installed at the plaza.
The footage also revealed that two of the policemen took away the cash lying inside the abandoned toll booths, officials said.
Vehicles at the toll plaza passed without paying tax for about one and a half hour amid the chaos.
Additional director general of police (ADG) Agra Zone Ajay Anand took notice of the matter and on Thursday suspended one of the constables who was identified as one of the policemen taking away the cash.
“We are identifying others involved and a report has been sought from SSP Mathura about the whole incident. An exemplary action would follow against all involved so that no such case is repeated in future,” Anand told the Hindustan Times on Thursday morning.
{{/usCountry}}“We are identifying others involved and a report has been sought from SSP Mathura about the whole incident. An exemplary action would follow against all involved so that no such case is repeated in future,” Anand told the Hindustan Times on Thursday morning.
{{/usCountry}}“Efforts are on to identify the other one in uniform and would face the same action,” he added.
Kumar, on his part, claimed the toll plaza staff misbehaved with his men when they were trying to remove the barrier from the vehicle. According to CO Refinery, the staff at toll plaza got aggressive and even pelted stones after which the policemen took the action.
He denied looting of cash but said that if anyone found guilty would face action.
An FIR was filed against toll plaza manager Anil Kumar and two dozen others for stone pelting and misbehaving with the policemen at the Refinery police station. However, reports said the contractor of the toll plaza left for Lucknow to get his complaint against the policemen registered.
Police are now relying on the CCTV footage to find out the other policemen involved in the incident and the role of Kumar has been placed under the scanner.