Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

Doraha drama: Manpreet films two traffic cops taking bribe

- HT Correspond­ent letterchd@hindustant­imes.com n

LUDHIANA : The Punjab government’s asking its ministers to give up red beacons, escort and security has started showing results! Finance minister Manpreet Badal on Thursday caught on camera a traffic cop accepting bribe. Travelling in a private vehicle without a sign of VIP, the minister saw the cop accepting bribe at Gurthali Bridge in Doraha. He shot a video of the episode and forwarded it to Ludhiana police commission­er Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh.

After finding that the cop was from Khanna, the commission­er referred the matter to Khanna senior superinten­dent of police (SSP) Rajjit Singh Hundal. After investigat­ion, the Khanna SSP suspended two cops, identified as head constables Manjit Singh and Jagjot Singh.

LUDHIANA: The Punjab government’s asking its ministers to give up red beacons, escort and security has started showing results! Finance minister Manpreet Badal on Thursday caught on camera a traffic cop accepting bribe. Travelling in a private vehicle without a sign of his position, the minister saw the cop accepting bribe at Gurthali Bridge in Doraha.

He shot a video of the episode and forwarded it to Ludhiana police commission­er Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh.

After finding that the cop was from Khanna, the commission­er referred the matter to Khanna senior superinten­dent of police (SSP) Rajjit Singh Hundal. After investigat­ion, the Khanna SSP suspended two cops, identified as head constables Manjit Singh and Jagjot Singh.

Manpreet Badal was on way to Chandigarh from Ferozepur via Ludhiana after attending the martyrdom day function of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev at Hussainiwa­la border.

Manpreet was driving his Toyota Innova SUV when he saw the cops accepting bribe from a commuter at Gurthali Bridge. Manpreet filmed the episode through his mobile camera.

Police commission­er said the finance minister telephoned him and also sent the video clips on Whatsapp. “I investigat­ed and found that the errant cop was from the traffic wing of Khanna police and referred the case to Khanna SSP,” he said.

Khanna SSP Hundal confirmed the suspension of the cops.

“We will investigat­e from whom the cop accepted bribe and how much money he had taken. But they have been suspended with immediate effect and a department­al inquiry initiated against them,” said the SSP.

He said the video has only confession of the policeman seeking apology from the minister.

APOLOGY DRAMA

After the cops came to know that they have been videotaped, head constable Manjit Singh came near finance minister Manpreet Badal’s vehicle, seeking apology. “Tuhadi jutti te mera sar, ek baar bakhsh do” (You can hit my head with shoe, forgive me once)”. Manpreet rebuffed the cop saying “you are getting ₹50,000 as salary and still accepting bribe”.

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 ?? VIDEO GRAB ?? Head constable Manjit Singh apologisin­g to finance minister Manpreet Singh.
VIDEO GRAB Head constable Manjit Singh apologisin­g to finance minister Manpreet Singh.

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