Police Arrests 3 Corporation Employees, SMC Orders Time-Bound Inquiry
Srinagar- Police on Tuesday arrested three employees of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) for allegedly assaulting traffic cops who had issued a challan for violating the Motor Vehicle Act.
“An incident has come to notice wherein one SMC employee aggrieved by challan on not having HSRP, came back and broke a traffic booth with others, later assaulted traffic personnel on duty. In this regard FIR has been registered in Shergari PS against 3 delinquent SMC employees,” the Srinagar police tweeted.
The police said all three accused employees were formally arrested after following legal formalities.”The three had also kidnapped the traffic personnel in a car after creating a ruckus. FIR No 06/2023 stands registered in Shergari PS,” it added.
However, the SMC employees alleged that they had demolished an encroachment of the traffic department which had infuriated the cops.
Pertinently, the officials of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Tuesday demolished a Traffic Police booth opposite Tagore Hall saying that it was an encroachment.
However, officials of the traffic department said the SMC officials demolished the booth after a vehicle of SMC was fined for not plying with High Security Registration Number plate (HSRP) and registration papers.
Videos of the incident have surfaced on social media showing the officials of the Traffic Department and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) trading barbs at each other and accusing each other of misconduct.
The video which has gone viral on social media shows a traffic official accusing the officials of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) of demolishing the official Traffic Booth on the basis of personal grudge.
However, SMC officials refuted the allegation saying it was an encroachment.
“Why don’t you remove street vendors, why was the traffic booth attacked. You take bribes from the street vendors that is why you are not removing vendors from the streets of the crowded marketplace” the traffic policeman can be seen yelling at SMC officials.
The SMC officials said the traffic booth was an encroachment that was the only reason it was demolished.
A traffic policeman can also be seen holding an SMC official by his arm and saying no notice was served to them before the demolition took place.
The SMC official responds by saying the traffic police cannot dictate terms to the officials of the municipality.
Meanwhile, SMC placed two employees under suspension.
“It has come to the notice of competent Authority that Niyaz Ahmad Gabroo I/C Ward Officer Ward No. 30 and Ovais Farooq Khan Tax Assistant Ward 30 have indulged in a conduct, which is unbecoming on part of a civil servant. Pending enquiry into the matter Niyaz Ahmad Gabroo I/C Ward Officer Ward No. 30 and Ovais Farooq Khan Tax Assistant Ward 30 are put under suspension with immediate effect and shall remain attached in the office of Secretary, Srinagar Municipal Corporation,” reads a suspension order issued by Joint Commissioner SMC,.
The police as well as SMC’s action followed as videos of heated arguments between the traffic police personnel and the corporation employees have been widely circulated on social media here.
“Ghulam Hassan mir, Joint commissioner Planning SMC, shall do the detailed enquiry and submit report within 7 days,” the order, a copy of which lies with Kashmir Observer.
In the videos, the traffic cops can be seen asking the SMC employees for the notice of demolition before they remove the purported encroachment.
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