A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Dr Shalini Phansalkar Joshi said "The allegations made by the constable are very serious; they should be looked into by a high ranking official."
The Bombay High Court has directed the Additional Director General of Police (Anti Corruption Bureau) to supervise the inquiry being carried out by the department into allegations of large-scale corruption and acceptance of bribes by traffic policemen in Mumbai in lieu of allowing illegal parking and ferrying of heavy vehicles in the city.
Sunil Bhagwantrao Toke, a head constable, filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court earlier this month, alleging rampant corruption in the city police's traffic division seeking a departmental inquiry against corrupt officials.
A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Dr Shalini Phansalkar Joshi said "The allegations made by the constable are very serious; they should be looked into by a high ranking official."
Public Prosecutor JP Yagnik, while replying to the petition filed by Toke said, "Complaints were made to the Mumbai Police Commissioner and the Director General of Police, now they have been received by the ACB department and further inquiry is being carried out."
Yagnik sought six weeks time to submit the progress report, while advocate Pradeep Havnur appearing for the petitioner informed the court that additional evidence in the form of a CD was available with him showing policemen accepting graft in Pune, which also should be investigated.
The court has now asked Toke to cooperate with the inquiry, and if required by the probe agency, appear before them and record his further statement and also provide additional evidence which he has collected.
Toke in his petition has sought directions from the court to register a First Information report (FIR) against the alleged corrupt policemen named in his complaint and to direct the Director General of Police, Police Commissioner and Joint Commissioner (Traffic) for initiating departmental inquiry against the alleged corrupt policemen.
Toke claims in his plea that under every traffic police division, there are two havaldars who are called 'cashiers'. They collect bribes from car showrooms, pizza outlets, restaurants, malls and other allied business establishments. The petition mentions the amount of alleged hafta being collected by the policemen.
It is also alleged that while dealing with drunken driving cases, the police teams are given a target of registering five to 10 cases. However, the concerned team catches 40 to 50 persons who can be prosecuted for the act, fine them and on paper only state five to 10 people who have been charged. The petition also states the department to provide protection to the petitioner.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "traffic policemen")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}