Don’t take calls from VIPs, Delhi traffic cops told

NEW DELHI: Taking the VIP culture prevalent in the city head-on, Delhi Traffic Police has issued an order banning field staff from receiving calls on the phones of violators while issuing them challans. This comes after policemen reported that they had let off violators after receiving calls from influential people or VIPs. At times, the callers had even threatened the traffic cops for trying to challan the violator.

In the order issued on March 9, joint commissioner (traffic) K Jagdesan has asked all field staff to issue challans no matter how much the VIPs try to intimidate them. “To avoid undue pressure, no challaning officer or field functionaries shall attend any calls received on the phone of the violators or any third person while prosecuting a violation on road,” the order said.

The field officers have also been asked to wear body-cameras to record altercations with the violators before they call up the VIPs.

Sources said that many times when cops flag down drivers for offences like speeding or talking on the phone, they call a senior police officer or politician asking to be let off. Traffic cops complain that the intimidations range from firm orders to threats of transfers and dismissals.

Traffic police officers said there have been instances where supporters of politicians or their relatives put up stickers mentioning the names of the VIPs on the windshield or wield parking stickers of a high-security building to show off their contacts. “There are names of politicians pasted on the vehicles or have “police” written on the windshields to intimidate any officer who flags them down. This system has prevailed in Delhi for long,” said a police officer.

“There have been instances when a person caught blatantly violating the law dials the number of a VIP or an officer even before getting out of the vehicle. When we approach them, they just hand over the phone to us asking us to speak first and then initiate action,” said a traffic cop posted in central Delhi.

In some cases, they note down the registration number or click a photograph of the violation along with the vehicle’s numberplate. The challan is then sent to their registered address.