Is transferring a corrupt traffic cop an adequate punishment? Bombay high court asks police

The court also directed the department to submit a progress report on the steps taken to curb incidents of corruption among its staff.

The Bombay high court on Wednesday asked senior traffic police officials to discuss and inform the court if transferring officers who take bribes from motorists was enough to punish them.

The traffic department submitted an affidavit stating that it was committed to maintaining transparency and honesty.(HT)

A bench of Justice RM Savant and Justice Sadhana Jadhav was responding to the Maharashtra government’s submission that the department had transferred 13 traffic police personnel to “non-desk jobs” after they were found guilty of having demanded bribes from motorists, or of other irregularities while discharging their duties.

The bench said that the “officials on the highest levels” of the department must give it some thought and inform the court. It was hearing a plea filed earlier this year by traffic constable Sunil Toke, alleging rampant corruption in the traffic department. The court had subsequently converted the plea into a Public Interest Litigation.

It also directed the department to submit a progress report on the steps taken to curb incidents of corruption among its staff.

The traffic department submitted an affidavit stating that it was committed to maintaining transparency and honesty.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Amitesh Kumar, said in the affidavit that in the past one year over 5,000 CCTVs had been installed in a phased manner at major traffic intersections to keep a check on “suspicious activities” of its personnel. A cashless system of collecting fines and penalties through E-challans had been introduced on a pilot basis from October last year.

“The traffic police is equipped with 900 e-challan hand sets of latest technology. Introduction of e-challan has wiped out the old cash collection system. This has left less scope for the enforcement personnel to get involved in illegal activities,” the affidavit reads.

The affidavit further stated that a “dedicated email id” had been created for the public to send complaints against the traffic police.

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