Lament over harassment of transporters by police

October 23, 2024 8 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 23

On Tuesday, October 22, a video surfaced on a social media platform, containing a plaint about alleged unnecessary harassment of transporters by the traffic police in Nagaland.

The video showed what appeared to be a vehicle document checkpoint set up by the traffic police. Huddled around a table were a group of people, believed to be transporters/truckers, as two uniformed police personnel skimmed through what were assumed to be vehicle documents. One was wearing the general khaki uniform, and the other, the distinct navy blue issued the traffic police.

On the back of the jacket worn by one of the police persons was emblazoned ‘KOHIMA TRAFFIC POLICE’ in bold. The commentator, assumed to be the person, who took the video, is heard lamenting how the Nagaland police makes unnecessary demands, or find faults, and penalises transporters, mostly for no apparent reason.

“They demand paper copies of the vehicle registration and other documents, even after showing digital copies on the phone. They do not acknowledge and keep on saying “challan kato,” the commentary went.

The plaint further goes on to state that their transport vehicles were also issued similar ‘challan’ in Dimapur. However, he held that the police persons refused to acknowledge their explanation, and dismissed the Dimapur ‘challan’ as void in the location where the said check was on, as seen in the video.

In road/market lingo, ‘challan’ can be understood as getting ticketed, or fined, for failing transport rules or established government norm.

“Nagaland is one state. What is the logic in issuing different challans?” he asked, with exasperation clearly in the tone. “They rebuke us if we don’t,” he added.

According to him, even when all the vehicle documents are up to date and complete, the police still tell them to register “(vehicle) entry,” implying an entry fee, largely unaccounted for.

“From where do we bring all the money?” he asked. He said that imposing penalty, as per the transport norm, for incomplete paperwork is justified. On the same note, he added that the police should let them through if the paperwork is complete and up to date.

The Director General of Police, Nagaland, Rupin Sharma, was contacted to comment on the assumed transporter’s plaint.

Sharma responded that he will be looking into it. He added that an advisory will also be issued to the field personnel with regard to acknowledging digital copies, if found to be authentic or concurs with the records in the government database.