Four officers of New Alipore police station were suspended on Wednesday after they allegedly smashed the windshields and deflated the tyres of at least 30 trucks parked in the area because the drivers refused to pay bribes.

Police sources said the four were identified from CCTV footage, but more personnel could have been involved.

The vandalism took place barely 500ms from the New Alipore police station, near a railway yard, between 2.30am and 3am on Wednesday. The spot is close to the popular Suruchi Sangha Durga Puja.

“Based on preliminary investigation and CCTV footage, four sub-inspectors of New Alipore police station were identified and suspended on Wednesday. The four had gone to the spot and smashed the windshields of several vehicles. An inquiry has been initiated,” said an officer of Kolkata Police’s south division.

On Wednesday morning, the truck drivers and their assistants staged a blockade in New Alipore to protest the vandalism.

Some truck operators informed senior officers about regular extortion by a section of the police. The complaint was forwarded to police headquarters at Lalbazar in the afternoon.

Senior officers of Kolkata Police then decided to investigate the allegations that officers were demanding bribes from truck drivers to let them operate.

“Paying the police is not something new to us. But usually, if there is any disagreement, they stop at deflating tyres. What happened early on Wednesday was more damaging. The incident occurred around 2.30am, and by the time we could react, the damage was done,” a truck driver said on Wednesday evening.

Truck drivers said they often pay bribes because of overloading, discrepancies between cargo and paperwork, or pending vehicle taxes — common reasons for being stopped by the police.

On Wednesday, the trucks were parked near the railway yard, a major point for loading and unloading stone chips, sand, and other construction material. The trucks pick up the goods and transport them across the city and its outskirts.

Earlier this month, Kolkata Police suspended two personnel and dismissed a civic volunteer for alleged extortion on Howrah Bridge. That incident came weeks after an assistant sub-inspector and a constable were caught demanding money from goods vehicles during a night check. The case surfaced after a vehicle helper uploaded a video on social media.