Judge-Constable Altercation Exposes Traffic Offenses by Influential Individuals in Pune
Sumit Singh
Pune, 22nd May 2023: Amidst a growing controversy involving an alleged altercation between a judge and a woman police constable in Pune, the traffic branch has released data revealing the flouting of traffic norms by various individuals, including police officials, army personnel, government officials, PMPML bus drivers, lawyers, media professionals, doctors, and owners of luxury cars captured on CCTV.
According to the provided data, a total of 3,145 individuals were fined between March 1 and May 20. Last week, a woman constable took a photograph of a judge who had halted his two-wheeler on a zebra crossing at Swargate. This incident escalated into a heated argument, with the judge pressuring the constable not to issue him a fine. Subsequently, the judge lodged a complaint against her, leading to her transfer. The constable then approached the deputy commissioner of police, who initiated an inquiry report that will be forwarded to the High Court for further action, as stated by officials.
The data compiled by the traffic department highlights that police officials topped the list of offenders, followed by lawyers and government officials. It indicates that during this period, 903 policemen, 779 lawyers, 442 government officials, 156 PMPML drivers, 184 army personnel, 147 media professionals, 60 doctors, 147 individuals riding triple seat, and 327 owners of high-end cars valued between ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore were fined by the traffic police under their Sudarshan (CCTV surveillance) project.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic) Vijay Magar emphasized, “The purpose of this data compilation is to demonstrate that police officials take action against all violators. We have sent a clear message that nobody is exempt from the law, and therefore, action has also been taken against influential individuals found violating traffic laws.”
Magar added, “We have not hesitated to take action against our own personnel and government officials during our enforcement drive, and the fines have been collected. Such actions will continue in the future.”
Fines Collected: According to the traffic police data, in 2022, the traffic branch fined 1,377,623 individuals compared to 225,901 in 2023. From January 1 to May 10, the traffic branch collected ₹93.19 lakh from 21,000 individuals for jumping traffic signals. During the same period, the branch took action against 3,736 individuals for modifying bike silencers and collected ₹26.87 lakh in fines. Additionally, ₹3.84 crore was recovered from 4,853 heavy vehicles for various violations.
Moreover, the traffic police issued fines of ₹39.65 lakh to 4,583 individuals for sporting tinted glass, while 7,938 individuals were fined ₹51.43 lakh for using fancy number plates. For zebra crossing violations, 11,924 individuals were fined, resulting in a recovery of ₹57.99 lakh in fines. Furthermore, 1,130 individuals were fined ₹3.72 lakh for wrong-side driving.
These figures demonstrate the ongoing efforts of the traffic police to enforce traffic rules and regulations, regardless of the offenders’ positions or professions.
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