Driver fined Rs 10,000 for relieving self on NH

In a bizarre incident, the Bihar Police slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on a truck driver Bipin Giri, 38, who had stopped his vehicle on NH-77 to urinate along the road side, besides seizing his vehicle for “unauthorised parking and obstructing traffic on the highway.” 

Working for a Punjab-based transport agency, Bipin had been regularly plying trucks from Patna to Raxaul near the Bihar-Nepal border. This time he was carrying fruits and had got down from the vehicle at late night on Patna-Hajipur road to relieve himself when a police patrol car from Hajipur industrial area station intercepted him.

When asked for papers and permit, Bipin showed it to the cops. Though the papers were in order, the driver was still asked to cough up Rs 10,000. He was told that his truck would be seized for wrong parking and causing obstructions on the highway.

With no money, poor Bipin refused to grease the palms of the unreasonable cops. The truck was seized and brought to the industrial area police station. “Where in the world the police slap a fine of Rs 10,000 for urinating along roadside,” the driver asked the munshi of the police station, Shahnawaz Khan, and urged him to release the vehicle as he had all the valid papers. But his repeated pleas fell on deaf ears. He was made to spend the night at the police station.

The following day (on Sunday), Bipin somehow procured the mobile number of Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Abhayanand, a no-nonsense officer, who is credited to a large extent for establishing the rule of law in the State.

When Bipin called up the DGP from Hajipur and narrated his tale of woes over phone, Abhayanand promised him help provided he (Bipin) had done no wrong. Immediately, thereafter, the DGP made a call to Vaishali SP, UK Sinha, and asked him to personally visit the said police station and look into the matter.

After getting a call from Abhayanand so early in the morning, the SP immediately rushed to the Hajipur Industrial area police station where he found fruit-laden truck parked on the campus.

Sinha recorded the statement of the driver and enquired about the papers. Finding his men at fault, the SP suspended the munshi Shahnawaz Khan and ordered dismissal of another cop Sudhir Kumar. He also constituted a two-member committee to inquire into the role of station house officer (SHO) of the police station Abrar Khan.

The SP then asked the policemen to return the papers to Bipin and serve the poor driver snacks and tea. No wonder, Bipin saluted to the SP before embarking further journey.