In a curious case, the Sethiathoppu police issued a challan for not wearing a helmet to a motorist who was pushing his two-wheeler without an engine.
According to sources, a team of police personnel led by Sub-Inspector Sakthivel were conducting vehicle checks at Sethiathoppu on Monday evening when they intercepted one Thangadurai who was pushing his two-wheeler with his friend riding another motorcycle. The SI issued a challan to Thangadurai on the ground that he was not wearing a helmet.
Thangadurai kept insisting that as the vehicle did not have an engine, and hence riding it was absolutely impossible. He also took the defence with the police that how could he be expected to wear a helmet for a motorcycle without an engine.
The motorist also wanted an electronically generated challan for the offence so that he could pay the fine amount at the designated locations including post-offices. The SI immediately directed a police constable to take the vehicle to the station and asked the rider to go to court and challenge the action.
A senior police officer said that the SI was taking down the details without actually looking at the motorcycle. He said that when the number of the vehicle was asked, the motorist against whom the challan was issued gave the number of the motorcycle without engine.
The SI had accidentally noted down the number of the vehicle without engine on the challan instead of the other motorcycle, he claimed.
