Sting Operation Case : Pune Traffic Police suspends constable for taking bribe from motorist

By: Pune Pulse

December 12, 2023

Pune: The Pune Traffic Police Department has suspended a traffic police constable for taking a bribe from a motorist.

As per information shared by Pune Traffic Police, taking cognizance of a sting operation conducted by a leading Marathi news channel, a complaint was received on December 4 (Monday) to the Traffic Department from a motorist named Dhanashree Salunke about a traffic constable Sangram Laxman Pawar asking for more money than the actual fine at Nal Stop Chowk.

The actual fine asked by the constable was Rs 500 however, as the motorist did not have Rs 500 in cash, the traffic constable told the motorist to pay Rs 500 to an ice cream shop at Nal Stop Chowk via UPI & take cash from them. However, the shop owner told the motorist that she had to pay an extra Rs 20 under a vague reason that they have to pay it as tax to the government. The traffic constable also told the motorist that she would have to pay Rs 20 extra. So, she paid a total of Rs 520 to the shop via UPI & took cash from the shop & gave the cash to the traffic constable.

The incident has definitely raised suspicions over the police department and their officials. 

Hence, the Traffic Department has clarified that traffic constable Sangram Laxman Pawar has been suspended with immediate effect after conducting a preliminary inquiry into the said incident.

The traffic police have issued this clarification to prevent any hatred & misinformation to citizens about the traffic police.

The traffic police have further appealed to citizens to not scan the QR codes of any other shops, establishments, people, etc to pay traffic fines as the official QR code of the government’s bank account remains in the challan-issuing machines with the traffic police officers.

The department has shared some more information:

· A total of 8 police officers in the Pune traffic branch, who have misbehaved, used their power in an abusive manner, etc, have been suspended in the last one year

· In total, more than 25 officers have been given administrative punishment through penal action

· The traffic officials, against whom various complaints have been received, have been suspended immediately. Over 50 such officers have been suspended immediately.

Similarly, constant efforts are being taken by the traffic department to train traffic officials about staying away from all kinds of greed, bribery, etc.

Shreyas Vange