KOCHI: In a shocking incident it has come to light that the police patrol teams in Kochi have been taking bribes from lorries dumping septic tank waste at the open space between Kundannoor toll plaza and Alexander Parambithara bridge. Four people who were taken into custody by the CISF officials at the Cochin Port in the wee hours of Wednesday admitted that they had paid money to the police on Tuesday night to allow them to dump septic waste.
“On interrogation, they admitted to giving a bribe of Rs 200 for each trip to the police patrolling team near Alexander Parambithara bridge on the same night,” says Mudhsar of Kochangadi, Nisam of Karuvelipady, Sharfras of Karuvelipady and Thanseer of Karuvelipady in the statement.
In the statement, Nudhsar says that while they were trying to dump septic waste in the Port area, the CISF officials on duty took them into custody. It is stated that the waste was transported in a lorry with registration number KL 43 A-1025. The statement further says that they were ready to pay any amount to the Port. It also says that they had earlier tried to dump septic waste in the area.
The statement given by the four to the CISF at the Cochin Port has revealed the police inaction in preventing the dumping of toilet waste on open space.
It should be noted that the police are acting in connivance with these culprits at a time when it is mandatory to charge a fine of Rs 10,000 for illegal dumping of toilet waste.
When contacted, the Harbour police officials played hide and seek and refused to give a clear picture on the issue.