Kozhikode: Students, MVD officials need to be more careful, feels civic society

Kozhikode: On Monday, a teenager was allegedly dragged from a bike, when he was riding pillion with a stranger who was not wearing a helmet. When there was the option to note down the number, the public wonder ‘what was the need to drag a passenger from a bike?' Teachers, however, feel that students should never seek a lift from strangers with the risk of being kidnapped ever present. In the wake of the incident that led to registering a case against the MVI’s driver, RTO C.K. Paulson said that officials had no other way but to stop the rider, as he was riding without a helmet and his bike did not have a number plate in the front.

“What else should officials do, when somebody is trying to flee the scene, without a number plate? The rear side number plate was also not clear. So, the official tried to stop the vehicle and pulled the bike, not the boy. When he lost balance and the bike bent to one side, both the official and the boy fell on the road, which was unfortunate,” said Mr Paulson. Dayanandan M.M., whose son was injured in the impact of the fall, said that his boy was lucky to escape without any major injuries. “Usually, my son travels on a bus. Yesterday, he was a bit late to school and sought a lift on a bike. That was a mistake, which could be avoided. But the officials who check can be a bit more careful, not to hurt drivers,” said Mr Dayanandan.

Howver, teachers are shocked at the tendency of students to continue seeking a lift from strangers. “If they are a little late to school, nobody is going to harass them. But who will be answerable, if someone kidnaps them while offering a lift and abuses them? A few months ago, such an attempt was averted near our school,” says Alphonsa Mathew, teacher at Government Model Higher Secondary School.