Bhubaneswar, Jan. 3: A Scooty-borne youth today attacked three traffic cops with a sharp-cutter after the personnel stopped him for not wearing helmet at AG Square.
The injured traffic cops on duty have been identified as Rohan Kumar Swain, 28, Manidra Kumar Biswal, 25, and Gyana Ranjan Das, 35. While Swain suffered severe cut injury on his neck, Biswal sustained deep cut on his left palm. Similarly, Das's shoulder was dislocated in the assault. Swain is admitted at Capital Hospital, while Das is undergoing treatment in a private medical facility. Biswal was discharged from Capital Hospital after primary treatment.
Though the accused and his pillion rider tried to escape after the assault, other traffic cops deployed at the intersection managed to nab them. While Anil Rout, 34, was driving the Scooty, his elder brother, Tanmay Rout, 36, was riding pillion. Later, Capital police station cops arrested them.
The police said the brothers were natives of Bhadrak district and were currently staying at Badagada Brit Colony. They said Anil had assaulted the traffic personnel with the sharp-cutter.
Eyewitnesses said the incident took place around 11.45am when the traffic police's enforcement squad was conducting a helmet check-up drive at AG Square, a few metres from Traffic police station. "Two men on a Scooty were coming from Governor House Square, and the one driving the two-wheeler was without helmet. When our men stopped him, they started arguing and later hurled abuses. Suddenly, one of them whipped out a sharp-cutter and started attacking us," said at traffic constable present on the spot.
Further interrogation revealed that Anil had bought the sharp-cutter from Unit-I market half an hour before the incident took place. "Anil, the prime accused, told us that he had assaulted the traffic cops because of sudden provocation. We are verifying their antecedents, and they will be produced in court. The accused were arrested under the Indian Penal Code's several sections, including Section 307 (attempt to murder)," said Capital police station inspector-in-charge Manas Ranjan Garanaik.
Assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Jatindra Kumar Panda said that during enforcement of the traffic rules, the cops could not judge a violator whether he or she had any criminal antecedents. "We only impose penalty on the violators, and it is impossible for us to predict whether anyone of them will make a move to assault or attack us," said Panda.
On the other hand, the incident has raised concern among residents regarding the law and order situation in the city. AG Square is equipped with closed-circuit television cameras from all four directions, and it is also a zero tolerance zone in terms of traffic enforcement. "At a time when snatchers have wreaked havoc in the city, today's assault on the traffic cops proved that even the police are not safe here," said a local resident.
The incident has raised concern among the traffic personnel, as this is the sixth incident of assault on them in six months. "This is a very disturbing trend, and often, traffic constables become soft targets of the norm violators as they perform their duty without even lathis. These kind of incidents should be dealt with seriously, and the culprits should face exemplary punishment for assaulting the cops on duty," said Havildar Constable Association president (Bhubaneswar) Prabodh Dash.
