In a video that went viral on social media platforms on Thursday, a rickshaw driver in Thane was seen issuing traffic violation challans in presence of the RTO flying squad.
In the purported video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, a man dressed in maroon-coloured shirt can be seen holding an RTO machine for allegedly issuing challans to traffic violators. A person behind the camera can also se heard confronting the man and showing how RTO flying squad were sitting inside the vehicle while the rickshaw driver was out on the road catching traffic violators.
Watch the video here:
According to a senior official of Thane RTO, the machine seen in the video belongs to the commissioner's special squad. When contacted a senior official of the transport commissioner office, he said, "Enquiry has been ordered, the transport commissioner's office is looking into the matter and seeking clarification from the concerned officials."
Transport expert, Jitendra Gupta, criticised the incident, saying, "The officers were irresponsible in handing over the machine and asking the driver to do what they were supposed to do. Strict action must be taken against them.”
Here is how netizens reacted to the video:
As the video went viral, netizens reacted by demanding strict action against the officials.
The outrage on social media was palpable, with users expressing their opinions. One X user, Suresh Kumar, tweeted, "These officials must be immediately dismissed... outsourcing their job is a crime... law must take its course."
Another user raised concerns about the integrity of the system, saying, "What is going on? All those officers must be penalized for misusing government processes. What if tomorrow a police officer hands over their weapon to a common man? Please take action. This is an integrity issue."
Yet another tweet suggested a potential ulterior motive, saying, "I guess this is one of the techniques - send proxies to collect bribes... if one refuses a bribe, issue a challan. Who will get caught if at all? Corrupt individuals are completely safe, sitting inside a comfortable AC cabin of the vehicle, away from any dash cams and spycams."
A user with the Twitter handle @Saviocardozigm2 referred to the practice as "outsourcing," claiming that such individuals often aid traffic cops in their collections.
In a critical tweet, Umesh Mishra remarked, "RTO and Police - a frustrating cocktail of corruption! They seem to play by their own rules, prioritizing 'chai paani' over duty and hitting those 'target achievements' as they see fit."
The incident has sparked a larger conversation about accountability and corruption within the law enforcement and traffic regulation systems.
