Reporter’s diary: When fleecing Tasmac shop staffers gave cop a scare

At no point, there was an effort to curb this practice so much so that it has now become a kind of the accepted norm. However, a policeman had to swallow his pride after he confronted workers at a Tasmac shop in Iyyapanthangal. The policeman, sharing his mental agony with this scribe, said he had to return to the Tasmac shop, from where he bought liquor for his father, to pay the extra money for he didn’t want to get into any trouble at work. The policeman said he was charged Rs 20 extra per liquor bottle and after he told them that he was from the police department, he was allegedly asked to pay just half of it. The police personnel got into an argument with the Tasmac staff and was reportedly told that he can do nothing as they have been bribing all the authorities concerned regularly. The staff allegedly went on to threaten the policeman that he would be pulled up if at all he was going to report it to his higher officers. “I left the place in anger as we have been asked not to quarrel in public places. But I had to return to the shop to pay that extra money just to be on the safer side. I’m the sole breadwinner of my family. Even a small black mark could jeopardise my career and I do not want to risk it,” he said.