Girl, kin assault traffic policeman

VADODARA: A day after he was assaulted by three residents of Anand, traffic constable Natwar Kabhai was again attacked by four unidentified persons on Sunday night near Dandiya Bazaar junction near now-demolished Maharani Shantadevi Hospital.
In his complaint lodged with Raopura police station, Kabhai said that he had stopped a girl who was talking on the mobile phone while riding her two-wheeler at the same junction where he was assaulted on Saturday night too. When Kabhai asked the girl for her driving license, she told him that she does not have one. Kabhai then asked her to pay a fine of Rs 2,500 for talking on mobile phone while driving and not having a driving license.

The girl then made him talk to her father on phone who allegedly threatened Kabhai and also abused him. When Kabhai refused to let the girl go without paying the fine, the girl’s father and sister reached there with another man and allegedly starting slapping him and hurling abuses. Kabhai alleged that they tore his shirt and accused him of being drunk. Kabhai then informed police control room through his wireless.

However, before the PCR van could reach there, the four people fled from there. Later, he registered his complaint against the girl and her three relatives.

On Saturday night too, Kabhai was allegedly assaulted by three residents of Anand after he stopped them for jumping red light. The trio, who was later arrested, had got into a scuffle with him after they refused to pay the fine.

Sources in the traffic police said that Kabhai is short-tempered and his place of duty has not been transferred since two months. Senior police officials of traffic department change junctions of lower rung cops every month.