COPS DID NOTHING TO CURB hooligans

COPS DID NOTHING TO CURB hooligans

FPJ BureauUpdated: Saturday, June 01, 2019, 09:28 AM IST
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Except for managing the traffic, policemen on bandobast duty looked the other way to issues such as Govindas flouting traffic rules

Mumbai : In a loss of face for Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria who had said that he will ensure that the order passed first by the High Court and then by the Supreme Court of not letting children under the age of 12 participate in the dahi handi festival, mandals in the city openly flouted the rules on Monday.

All political parties in the City let children under the age of 12 be a part of the human pyramid in the presence of Mumbai police, which was supposed to enforce the court’s order. Not only that, but hooliganism too was rampant on the streets with the cops doing nothing about it.

This reporter who visited Urban Development Minister Sachin Ahir and his producer wife, Sangeeta Ahir’s Shree Sankalp Pratishthan charitable trust’s dahi handi at Worli, faced instances of Govindas passing comments and hollering at her both, while travelling to and at the spot.

When spokesperson for Mumbai police, Deputy Commissioner of Police Dhananjay Kulkarni, was asked as to what action police will take against the errant mandals and if the police will be held responsible for letting this happen, he replied to a text message saying, “Police will act as per rules.” A message to Maria went  unanswered.

The complete police force of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai were engaged in bandobast duty as mandals carried out daylong celebrations. However, except for managing the traffic they looked the other way to issues such as Govindas flouting traffic rules.

Despite there being police constables everywhere, freewheeling Govindas created a ruckus in the city. There were many instances of three people travelling on one motorcycle or engaging in rash driving. However the traffic police did not act against them.

“We are mostly concentrating on the bandobast and ensuring that the traffic keeps moving. This is a mob here. If we act against the members of even one mandal, 10 other mandals will come and support them and oppose us,” said Traffic Constable Wagh at Sector 17 in Vashi where a dahi handi was organised by the Shree Ganesh Bal Mitra Mandal. In Mumbai too, many motorcycles with three people were let off. Police sub inspector Shinde attached with the Anti-Terrorist Cell which was also part of the bandobast, also had the same opinion.

However, Mumbai’s traffic police did book a number of people for traffic violations. There were 84 cases of drunk driving, 2,044 cases of people travelling without helmet, 352 cases of three people sitting on a motorcycle and 78 cases of sitting on the cabin of trucks and tempos. Navi Mumbai traffic police did not have these details at the time of going to press.

Police files first case

An offence has been registered against the chairman of Om Saidham Govinda Mandal, Chetan Khetale, at Meghwadi police station. The said mandal had used a child of 10 years for the purpose of dahi handi. The offence falls under Section 188 IPC which refers to disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant.

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