Noida traffic DCP transferred over ‘lapses in management’

The deputy commissioner of police traffic for Noida was transferred to the police lines on Wednesday following lapses in traffic management during the ongoing CPHI and PMEC India 2024 exhibition at Expo Mart in Greater Noida. The decision came after severe congestion was reported on the Greater Noida Expressway and surrounding roads during the event, which began from November 25 and will continue till November 29, officials said. 

According to Gautam Budh Nagar commissioner of police, Laxmi Singh, the transfer was ordered due to negligence in handling traffic, failure to adhere to protocols, and poor coordination during the pharmaceutical trade show. “DCP (traffic), Yamuna Prasad, was moved to police lines with immediate effect on Wednesday,” Singh said. DCP Lakhan Singh Yadav, who was previously in the police lines, has been appointed as the new Noida Traffic DCP. 

In addition, misconduct notices were issued to Greater Noida ACP (traffic) Pawan Kumar, traffic inspector Prafull Shrivastava, and Knowledge Park station house officer Vipin Kumar for their roles in the mismanagement. The Greater Noida ACP traffic post, left vacant by Kumar, has been assigned to Sanjay Kumar Bishnoi, who was also in police lines asan ACP. 

The CPHI & PMEC India 2024 exhibition held at Expo Mart from November 25 to 29, a key event in the pharmaceutical industry, has drawn large crowds to the area, exacerbating traffic issues in the region, police said. Congestion on surrounding roads, including the Greater Noida Expressway, has sparked complaints from commuters. On Wednesday, traffic jams persisted from 11am to evening, with bumper-to-bumper traffic reported, said officials. 

Amit Kumar, a commuter travelling towards Greater Noida on Wednesday afternoon, described the experience as a “nightmare.” He said, “It was a nightmare for me to cover 2 kilometres of distance near the India Expo Mart roundabout. The service road and main road were completely choked, and I was stuck in congestion for more than half an hour.” 

A senior traffic officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the surge in visitors overwhelmed arrangements. “We have made all the arrangements and deployed additional force to prevent any traffic congestion, but when people kept growing, the traffic affected the surrounding roads. The parking lot of the Expo Mart was also almost full. Due to pick and drop, taxis, and peak hour traffic, the situation worsened,” the officer added. 

CP Singh added that, “I was also observing for the past few days that the response of DCP traffic was not up to the mark. The DCP traffic should be available without any delay. Since he was given the charge, it was believed that he was new, but after a few months of handling Noida traffic, his response is the same as before. The standard operating procedure (SOP) of any event at Expo Mart is to ensure the entry and exit of any vehicle and make proper parking arrangements. His negligence was found in handling the event, which resulted traffic congestion.”

ACP shifted over cow meat smuggling case 

In a separate development, Greater Noida assistant commissioner of police, Amit Pratap Singh, was transferred to police lines, and Dadri station house officer, Sujeet Upadhyay, was suspended for being unable to properly check any illegal activity in the area. Despite strict instructions, the cold storage, where cow meat was stored, operated in their jurisdiction since June 2024.

in a high-profile cow meat smuggling case, officers said.

On November 17, five people, including the owner and director of Greater Noida-based cold storage, were arrested for allegedly importing cow meat from West Bengal and exporting it by branding it as buffalo meat, said officials, adding that 153 tonnes of packed meat worth ₹4 crore were seized and later destroyed. In the last 10 days, four people were more arrested for their involvement in smuggling cow meat. Investigation revealed that the cow meat was being exported to other countries via ports.

Gautam Budh Nagar commissioner of police, Laxmi Singh, also ordered increased patrolling on expressways and inspections of all cold storage facilities in the district. Meanwhile, additional DCP Sudhir Kumar (traffic) has been tasked with further investigating the smuggling case.