A traffic sub-inspector, recommended for the Chief Minister’s medal this year, has been “punished” for penalising traffic violators, including drivers of Ministers, and well-connected persons.
Thirty-two-year-old T.R. Srinivas, attached to the High Grounds Traffic Police Station, was on Thursday transferred from the enforcement wing to the investigation wing of the Bangalore Traffic police. He joined the police force about 20 months ago, and this is his third posting.
On Saturday (July 19), he stopped the cars of Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya and Women and Child Development Minister Umashree and imposed fines on the drivers, who were not wearing seat belts and were using mobile phone while driving. Though the Ministers were not present, it is learnt that they spoke to Mr. Srinivas’s higher-ups.
Mr. Srinivas was issued a memo by Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B. Dayanand, seeking explanation for the incident. Sources, however, said that he was transferred even before he could respond to the memo.
This is not the first time that the sub-inspector is in the news. Earlier this month, he had flagged two high-end cars that were speeding on Racecourse Road and slapped fines on the drivers. While one is related to a Cabinet Minister, who is from Bangalore, the other is related to a former Union Minister. He had also imposed fine on Subhashnagar councillor T. Mallesh for violating traffic rules.
On Thursday, Mr. Srinivas chased a government car — in which a Joint Director of Health was travelling — that had jumped the signal at Basaveshwara Circle. He booked cases against the driver and the official for misbehaving with police, violating traffic rules and not carrying documents.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic – East) M.R. Babu Rajendra Prasad said that Mr. Srinivas was handling both enforcement and investigation wings. He added that the memo was issued for sharing information with the media. He refused to provide reason for transferring Mr. Srinivas to the investigation wing.