DIMAPUR, JULY 17 (MExN): The Jotsoma Youth Organization (JYO) has alleged the Kohima traffic police manning the landslide area at Kezhanu- Jotsoma, NH 29 of illegally collecting money from heavy vehicles, particularly goods carrying trucks, to cross the landslide.
In a representation addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, Kohima, JYO said it has been receiving reports of such illegal activity for the last two weeks. The traffic cops were alleged to be collecting money ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 2000 depending on the load capacity of the trucks, it said.
Citing an instance, the JYO said on July 16 evening, it caught a traffic police personnel collecting money from each trucks to cross the depressed/sinking area of the road at NH 29 when volunteers led by JYO president rushed down to help regulate the vehicles to cross its jurisdiction.
On further interrogation, the traffic police reportedly admitted that they were collecting the money for ‘chai pani’ expenditure. It stated that the time taken by the police personnel to extort their desired amount from the truck takes about 2-5 minutes which in turn caused traffic jam on the highway.
It also stated that at the time the traffic personnel was caught in the act, a traffic police officer in the rank of ASI was in command at the spot.
In this connection, the JYO wanted to know whether the collection by the Kohima Traffic Police personnel is authorised by the District Administration.
If the collection is not authorised, the JYO has urged the DC to take necessary action against the traffic police personnel on duty as their unauthorised and illegal activities had caused untold misery to the travellers.
Further, the JYO claimed that such illegal activities carried out by the police personnel has caused spiralling price rise of essential commodities in Kohima and surrounding places which is a burden for the common people of the district.
It also pointed out that this is not the first instance that of such illegal collection of money by traffic police personnel but occurs every year during rainy season.
The JYO stated that this kind of extortion has been causing a bad name to the Jotsoma villagers as the innocent travellers never suspect the police personnel to do such illegal activities and naturally the villagers became the prime suspects.¬
