Missing one-way signs way to harass commuters

NEW DELHI: Guru Ravidas Marg towards New Rohtak Road in south-east Delhi has become a point where commuters allegedly regularly get harassed by traffic police officials.

NEW DELHI: Guru Ravidas Marg towards New Rohtak Road in south-east Delhi has become a point where commuters allegedly regularly get harassed by traffic police officials.

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In the last 10 days, six commuters have reported three separate cases where they were stopped at the Guru Ravidas Marg junction and allegedly asked to give bribes by traffic officials. The junction has no sign which warns commuters of the road being a one-way zone.

A private company employee Sadhvi Aneja and her colleague Gaurav Goel took a turn on the road on Sunday, when three traffic officials directed them to stop their car. They were told that they were had flouted a rule and were going in the wrong direction on a one-way road.

“Around 11.30am when we took a left turn to enter the road, we were stopped by the cops. The traffic official asked us to pay a bribe of Rs 500 to let us go without having to pay the challan. When we objected to it, saying that there was no signage telling us that this was a one-way street, one of the cop started video recording us. He later threatened that he will report us to the local police for misbehaving with a policeman on duty,” Aneja told HT.

They were fined Rs 1,100, for dangerous driving and for violating a one-way zone. Goel said that they were told, “Now nothing can happen. We had asked you to pay Rs 500 but you kept on arguing.”

Aneja on Monday took to Delhi Traffic Police’s Facebook page to register her complaint against the traffic officials. She has captured the episode and also interviews of other drivers who were stopped at the junction after them, on her mobile.

The video is also attached as evidence with her complaint. HT could not verify the authenticity of the video.

She received a reply to the post reading, “Thanks, your complaint is being forwarded to senior officers to take necessary action. You are requested to give your e-mail ID or contact number as more information may be required by the enquiry officer.”

However, till Tuesday evening no follow-up action was taken on her complaint, she alleged.

Joint Commissioner of police (traffic), AK Ojha, said that in such cases the complaint is noted, investigated and immediate action is taken. “If there is proof of such an incident then the matter will be investigated and action will be taken against the officials,” he said.

Another complainant, RK Podwal, a government employee and a resident of south Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar, also faced a similar situation with the cops on the same stretch on August 6.

“I went back to check if I had missed the one-way board, but could not find it. After reaching home I called the traffic police helpline 1095 to inform them of the episode. I paid the fine. I haven’t called them back to check nor have they sent me any information,” Podwal said.