41 tainted traffic cops to be back on duty

The alleged syndicate of cashiers — constables who allegedly collected monthly bribes from commercial entities and transporters — will soon be back in the Mumbai Traffic department, reports Kanchan Chaudhari.

The alleged syndicate of cashiers — constables who allegedly collected monthly bribes from commercial entities and transporters — will soon be back in the Mumbai Traffic department.

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The Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) last month set aside orders transferring 41 constables out of the department.

Though the order was issued on October 28, the constables are yet to resume their duties, said a senior police officer.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sanjay Barve had taken an initiative to do away with the alleged syndicate of cashiers by shunting 127 constables out of the department in June and transferring them to the local arms branch at Naigaon.

However, 41 of the transferred constables challenged the transfer order before MAT saying provisions of the Transfers Act, 2005, which governs transfers of state government employees, were not complied with.

Though the proposal forwarded by Barve in May referred to sections of the Transfers Act pertaining to punishment transfers, Chief Presenting Officer Dinesh Khaire maintained before the tribunal that the transfers were routine and not punishment.

Lawyer Arvind Bandiwadekar, who is representing the constables, said the transfers were ordered by way of punishment and permission from the next higher authority was not taken.

MAT Chairman S. Radhakrishnan also observed that under the statutory rules, constables cannot be transferred out of the department without their own requests.

Barve refused to comment saying the MAT order was directed to the Commissioner of Police and now it was up to the higher authorities to take appropriate steps.