Chennai: Cop suspended for demanding bribe

CHENNAI: The introduction of a contactless enforcement system and body cameras has not deterred police personnel from demanding and taking bribes. A video of an inspector of the Ashok Nagar traffic wing, identified as P Nagarajan, bargaining for a bribe of 5,000 with a man caught for driving drunk, went viral on social media and the officer was suspended on Thursday.
The offender was caught in Ashok Nagar on Wednesday night. He was issued a challan and the bike impounded . He paid the prescribed sum and was told to come to the police station the next day to collect the licence and RC book from the inspector.
At the station, as per the 7.45-minute-long video shot by the offender though a mobile phone in his pocket, the inspector, who was supposed to hand over the two-wheeler key, is seen demanding 5,000 for the 'service'.
The man is then seen pleading with the officer to reduce the sum, but the inspector warns him that he would a send a recommendation to cancel his licence if he didn't pay up. He says they had been instructed to send such recommendations even for minor offences like signal jumping.
The inspector then tells the man that it is not good for him to let the vehicle remain at the station for long as it would not be maintained properly.
After a while, the man convinces the officer to accept 1,000 as down payment, saying he would pay the rest in installments. The inspector then hands over the bike key, extracting a promise from the man that the rest would be paid after getting his salary. Later, after the inspector was suspended, a senior police officer said a department probe had been initiated in the case.
Even when hefty traffic fines were introduced, motorists and activists feared it may not end bribe-taking. "Body cameras are distributed only to a few officers. Since they are not being monitored properly, this doesn't serve as a deterrent. While increasing fines for various violations may bring in traffic discipline, its possible misuse by police remains a cause of concern," said activist Kasimayan.