Traffic jam after cop’s hit and run

Traffic jam after cop’s hit and run
Cab drivers burn tyres, block traffic and assault cops after a head constable attacked errant driver
NEETHU REGHUKUMAR


Cabbies went on the rampage on Hosur Road on Wednesday after a policeman allegedly launched an assault on a cab driver, paralysing traffic on the route.
Techies, who could reach their offices in Electronics City in 20 minutes from Central Silk Board, needed more than two hours to reach their destination.
Ravi Kumar, a resident of C K Nagar, said it all began when a cab driver was heading towards Electronic City when head constable Lakshmi Narse Gowda from Madivala traffic police station told him to stop.
When the driver, identified as Nagaraj, did not heed his words, the irate cop decided to go after him. Since he had no vehicle, he took a lift from a two-wheeler rider and chased down the cab at Naganathapura junction.
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT
Kumar said, “The policeman came from behind, assaulted the driver and hit him with a stone. Even as he was bleeding, the policeman fled the scene. About 50-60 cab drivers who had gathered there, burnt tyres, blocked traffic andassaulted three traffic cops.”
Later, police rushed to the spot and dispersed the mob.
M Venkatesh, a resident of the area, said the driver was taken to a hospital.
CASES AGAINST BOTH
B A Muthanna, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic – East), said, “The head constable has been suspended for dereliction of duty. He was on point duty and was not supposed to have left the point (Silk Board junction).”
A case will be registered against the drivers who assaulted the cops.
B Lokesh, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Adugodi sub-division who was at the spot, said, “A case of assault will be registered against the head constable and those who attacked the cops.”
TECHIE’S TRAVAILS
Seema Prasad, a techie who regularly travels from Marathalli to Electronics City, was stuck in the traffic jam at Naganathapura junction for over an hour. “They were burning effigies close to my car and I could go nowhere because the road was blocked. Only after I reached my office, I found the problem was between the cab drivers and the cops,” she said.
“I was scared they might set my car ablaze. There were many policemen who were just watching and none wanted to resolve the conflict,” said Seema.