At 32 this year, suspension of traffic cops at lowest ebb

The Delhi traffic police have suspended only 32 personnel this year, the lowest during the last decade. Subhendu Ray reports.

The Delhi traffic police have suspended only 32 personnel this year, the lowest during the last decade.

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A total of 64 persons were suspended in the last two years, which is much less than the number of personnel suspended every year. A total of 70 personnel were suspended only in 2009, while 134 were suspended in the previous year.

The maximum number of suspensions took place between 2004 and 2008.

During this period, over 100 people were placed under suspension every year. However, suspension is not the trick to reduce corruption in police, or at least Delhi traffic police officials think so.

According to them, sometimes suspension encourages people to get involved in further corruption.

"Some people "love" suspensions as during the period they can get into some other "businesses" and once they are reinstated they get their dues of remunerations cleared," said an officer.

Now, Delhi police have adopted a technique to oust wrongdoers from its traffic unit. Hundreds of them have been shifted to other units in possibilities of wrongdoing like taking bribes are low.

"We have sent over 100 personnel who were suspected to have indulged in misconduct to traffic lines initially and then to other units of police this year. We have only suspended those whose gross violation of conduct has been established," said Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

"We felt suspension alone cannot reduce corruption," Garg added.