Four policemen have been suspended for stopping traffic to clear the way for the vehicles a former UP police chief and his family that apparently left many commuters stranded including the wife of a top bureaucrat in the state.

Former Director General of Police Prakash Singh and his family were on their way to a memorial of the founder of the Radhasoami faith in Dayalbagh yesterday when the traffic was allegedly held up by the cops to let their cars pass.

According to sources, the wife of a top UP government bureaucrat, who was stuck in the traffic jam, made a clipping of the incident and sent it to her husband, who called up local police authorities.

SSP Shalabh Mathur said he had ordered the suspension of the four policemen- two sub-inspectors and as many constables - for causing the traffic jam and the incident would be inquired into by the Circle Officer, East, K P Yadav.

The suspended cops are PRO to the DiG of Agra range, Sub inspector Pramendra, SI Sanjeev Dubey of the New Agra police station and constables Suresh Kumar Singh and Raghuvir Singh of the Cheetah mobile squad.

Asked about the action against the cops, Prakash Singh said the four policemen had been made "a scapegoat to please senior officials".