Even as Pune police department is doing its best to enforce traffic rules, the cases related to assault of public on government servants have been on the rise.
While 138 cases were registered under Section 353 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) in 2017, 161 such cases were registered in 2018. Section 353 under the Indian Penal Code relates to assault or criminal force used to deter public servant from discharging his duty.
On Friday, one case each was filed under Section 353 of Indian Penal Code at Kothrud and Samartha police stations respectively, bringing the number of cases to 29 in 2019.
S B Jadhav, police constable of the Kothrud traffic division filed a first information report (FIR) against Sachin Balasaheb Khilare, 25, under Section 353 of IPC for physically assaulting him and another police constable .
The two policemen had questioned him about non-compliance of helmet rule and rash driving, apart from asking him for his driving licence. Khilare had not stopped at the Anand chowk and had to be chased before he was caught. Khilare beat him up and was arrested in this regard. In yet another case, a bus driver of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) Rajendra Vhantale, 51, of Osmanabad was assaulted by an unidentified person at Apollo Talkies chowk on Friday. The person boarded the bus, picked up an argument with the driver and later assaulted him. A case has been registered and Pradeep Palande of Samartha police station is investigating the case.
While speaking about the issue, K Venkatesham, Pune police commissioner said, “ The police department has sought the assistance of third party to analyse the reason behind the rise in the number of cases related to Section 353 of Indian Penal Code. This has been initiated as part of employee engagement plan.”
{{/usCountry}}While speaking about the issue, K Venkatesham, Pune police commissioner said, “ The police department has sought the assistance of third party to analyse the reason behind the rise in the number of cases related to Section 353 of Indian Penal Code. This has been initiated as part of employee engagement plan.”
{{/usCountry}}In December 2018, the team from Sahakarnagar police station arrested Akash Nandu Falke, 24 and Ganesh Anil Jagtap, 18 under Sections 353, 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506(a) Criminal Intimidation of IPC for verbally abusing and threatening police constable Ashwini Jaujal of Bharti Vidyapeeth traffic division. Jaujal had stopped the duo while they were riding a two-wheeler.
In yet another case in the same month, Chirag Rajendra Satav, 27, a resident of Wagholi, was arrested by the Mundhwa police and sent to Yerawada central jail for verbally abusing a traffic policeman at Mundhwa chowk.In October 2018, the Kondhwa police arrested four engineers including a woman on charges of abusing and threatening a woman traffic constable after she stopped them for triple riding.
The constable, Alka Kamble, 44, lodged a complaint against the four at the Kondhwa police station after which they were arrested under sections 353, 352 (punishment for assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code .
Speaking about the issue, Vijay Kumbhar, Right to Information(RTI) activist said that while citizens should not take the law in their hands at any cost, people associated with justice delivery system should keep in mind that the country belongs to the citizens.
“Where will the people go to for justice when institutions responsible for providing the same are failing in discharging their duties. The institutions must ensure that such conditions where citizens are taking law into their hands does not arise at all,” Kumbhar said.