Kolkata Police Halts Army Truck, Slaps FIR on Driver
Police say CCTV shows the truck took a wrong turn, almost hit the commissioner’s car
Kolkata: The Kolkata Police halted an Indian Army truck and initiated a case on rash driving charges against its driver on Tuesday after the military vehicle had almost collided with city police commissioner Manoj Verma’s car while taking a wrong turn on the road.
The incident took place a day after West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee accused the Centre of misusing the Army after its soldiers dismantled her party's agitation venue in the city for its existence beyond permission.
At around 11 am on Tuesday, Verma was travelling in his car to his office, Lalbazaar, the Kolkata Police headquarters, near the Writer's Building in BBD Bagh. Ahead of his vehicle was the Army truck coming from Fort William, the Eastern Command headquarters.
The military vehicle suddenly tried to turn right from the far left of the road at the crossing to enter Old Court House Street when Verma's car passed by it from its right side, according to CCTV footage of the city police.
A traffic sergeant ran and stopped the military truck for prosecution. An Army personnel, who was along with another in the truck, said that as soon as their vehicle, bound for the passport office, slowed down to turn right, the police commissioner’s car passed by it also from the right.
Later, the Kolkata Police stated, “A lot of misinformation is being circulated from certain quarters regarding action taken by police over an incident of violation of traffic rules. It's apparently clear from the CCTV footage that the truck in question was being driven in a dangerous manner, violating the traffic lane.”
It added, “The other vehicle narrowly escaped a collision thanks to the alertness of its driver. It’s a case of violation of traffic rules & legal action is being initiated as per law against the driver of the offending vehicle. The public is advised not to be misled by unverified claims & to rely on the authentic updates from official sources.”
An FIR was lodged following a complaint by a traffic sergeant at the Hare Street police station under section 281 (rash driving) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Motor Vehicles Act charges against the Army truck driver.