A 40-year-old woman, R. Fatima, of Kumbakonam, took on sand lorry operators that led to Madurai rural district police detaining eight over-loaded vehicles at Kattapatti National Highway tollgate on Sunday afternoon.
The woman is the State general secretary of Makkal Pathukappu Kazhagam, floated by renowned social worker ‘Traffic’ Ramasamy. She noticed a sand-laden lorry dangerously overtaking her car on the Tiruchi-Madurai highway. “I also noticed many over-loaded lorries passing by my vehicle,” she said.
The woman, who drove straight to the National Highways Authorities of India tollgate, asked its employees to detain the over-loaded lorries and narrated the close shave she had with the lorry. By the time the lorries could reach the toll-gate, she alerted the Madurai district police. “Initially, I received a very cold response from the police and transport officials. Then, I alerted Superintendent of Police Vijayendra Bidari who ordered his men to detain the vehicles,” she told The Hindu .
Mr. Bidari said the woman had given him “useful information” based on which the police detained the vehicles. “Since her complaint was genuine, the lorries have been detained for penal action,” he said.
The woman complained that the officials at the tollgate said the printer at the weighing bridge was faulty. “They were very uncooperative. I asked them to give the readings in writing so that I could further proceed against the lorry operators in court,” she said.
Madurai District Sand Lorry Owners’ Association president M. Ravirajan said the woman had no right to take law into her hand. “The police should not allow individuals to dictate terms but do their duty on their own,” he said.
Mr. Ramasamy, who is in the city, said he was proud about the woman who waged a lone battle. “This shows that if people come forward boldly to fight against the wrong-doings, officials are ready to cooperate with them,” he said.
