HUBBALLI: Naveen, a cab driver in Hubballi, was going about his usual business and was ferrying passengers from the city railway station to Gokul Road. It was around 10 pm when a police personnel stopped his car. Naveen got down from his car and produced his documents as well as the driver’s licence. But to his shock, he was slapped with a Rs 100 fine for driving without a helmet. When he questioned the absurdity of the fine being imposed, the policeman allegedly started hurling abuses.
The incident took place on October 7 on Chennamma Circle.“The policeman started abusing me and insisted that I pay the fine. I told him that I had all the documents and that I drive for an app-based cab company which ensures all the documents are in place.
But the police did not heed to my requests. He initially asked for about Rs 500 but when I refused to pay up, he fined me for Rs 100. When I saw the bill I was shocked to see that he had fined me for not wearing a helmet with the car number KA 25 D 2271 mentioned in the chalan,” Naveen said.
The traffic constable who executed this is believed to be attached to the North Traffic police station. When contacted, Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner M N Nagaraj said he will look into the matter. “If the police officer has taken any bribe, it is punishable. I will check with the police station concerned,” he said.This is not the first time that a car driver has been slapped with a fine for not wearing a helmet. However, in the past most of these fines were slapped due to technical errors of CCTV cameras which booked car drivers for errors made by two wheeler riders.