Reporter’s diary: ACP’s antics has others scratching their heads

This officer was recently on night duty when he seized a tipper lorry for carrying construction debris without properly covering them as per the guidelines.

Now, any late-night motorist would be familiar with such tipper trucks carrying debris in the most hazardous manner and safely get out of its way as most police officers never bothered to keep a check on them. While this action of the concerned officer surely deserves an applause, what he did after that has marred all the good work. According to police sources, the officer reportedly agreed to let off the truck driver and owner if they agreed to donate to schools that struggle for funds or to poor students.

Top police officials who came to know of the incident were furious at the officer taking matters in his hand while his duty was just to act as per law and book the offending vehicle owner.

In another case, the officer who has not been able to force a popular late-night diner in Egmore to close down early in the night, has of late taken to the practise of dumping seized vehicles outside the restaurant to reportedly harass the patrons. Considering that the city outlets are legally allowed to operate 24x7 since last week, the officer’s act is in direct violation of spirit of the rule and seen as harassment at best.

—Venkadesan S, Chennai