Traffic cop stopped for riding a two-wheeler without helmet, fined ₹34,000

A traffic constable in Ranchi was fined ₹34,000 under the new motor vehicles law that came into effect from September 1 after a senior police officer on patrol spotted him on a two-wheeler without a helmet and pulled him over.

Constable Rakesh Kumar was found riding a two-wheeler without a helmet with assistant sub-inspector (traffic) Parmeshwar Rai riding pillion. Both were posted at Plaza Chowk. They were slapped with a fine which is double the normal amount since the law has a provision that if a person responsible for upholding the new law violates it, he would be fined double. This is the first reported case of a traffic policeman being fined so far.

Ranchi traffic superintendent of police (SP), Ajit Peter Dungdung, caught both of them while they were returning home on a bike on Thursday night.

“I found the rider without a helmet. When he was stopped and asked for a driving licence, pollution under control certificate and other documents, he could not produce any of them,” Dungdung said.

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He said the constable was fined ₹34,000 under the new MV Act. The actual fine was ₹17,000.

“Rai, who was in-charge of Plaza Chowk, had asked the constable to drop him home. Since the fine could only be imposed on the driver, we have decided to proceed with departmental action against him,” the traffic SP said.

He said action has been taken against four other people of the department for violating traffic norms, but action against a traffic constable was the first incident so far.

The state transport department on Thursday evening issued an advisory asking all district transport officers (DTOs) and traffic SPs to realize twice the penalty for traffic offences under the Act.

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The advisory mentions under Section 210 (B) of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019, it has been specified that ‘any authority that is empowered to enforce the provision of this Act shall, if such authority commits an offence under this Act, be liable for twice the penalty corresponding to that offence under this Act.’

Joint Transport Commissioner (road safety), Ravi Shankar Vidyarthi, said, “It’s a common view that all actions are taken against the common man. But, the new MV Act breaks this cliché, as it prescribes double fine on any enforcement authority. So, the problem is bigger for them than the common man.”

He appealed to the people that if they found any enforcement agency violating traffic norms, to make a video or photograph them. The department would take action. “A rule is a rule. No one can be allowed to violate it,” he said.

Any action under the new MV Act was initiated in Ranchi from September 3. As per the records of the traffic department, challans were issued to more than 700 people in Ranchi and fines of more than ₹22 lakh was realized till 12 noon of Thursday.