As many as 45 policemen were suspended on Monday for giving illegal entry to overloaded trucks on Mahatma Gandhi Setu which connects Patna to north Bihar.
Among the suspended policemen are 32 constables and 13 personnel of the rank of Sub-Inspector and Assistant Sub-Inspector.
Patna Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Amarkesh D. suspended the policemen after getting reports of regular movement of overloaded trucks and heavy vehicles on the dilapidated bridge built over the Ganga.
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Bridge under repair
The overloaded trucks were said to be crossing the 5.7 -km-long bridge after allegedly greasing the palms of policemen deputed there to check the movement of vehicles. The dilapidated bridge, third-longest in India, is undergoing reconstruction and heavy vehicles are banned on it.
Recently, videos of policemen accepting money from truck drivers had gone viral on social media.
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FIR lodged
“We have been getting information for the past few days that there was movement of 100-150 heavy vehicles and overloaded trucks on the bridge… so after inquiry we took action and suspended the policemen posted there,” said a senior police officer at the State police headquarters.
“An FIR has also been lodged against them and departmental action too will be taken,” he added.