Sir,

This refers to the report ‘Criminals extort money from elderly car drivers by faking accidents’ (SOM dated June 21). I was also a victim of this kind of fake accident in 2020. Naturally, this criminal act must have been going on since long. At Dasappa Circle I had stopped my car when red signal came on. After a few seconds, I heard a gentle thud at the rear of the car but ignored it. Immediately, a rickshaw driver came and complained rudely saying I had applied the brake suddenly and as a result he had to hit my car and his rickshaw got damaged. He was intimidating me. I gave him a stern look and luckily green signal came on.

The question is: Why the Police, in a majority of this kind of cases, are on the side of the fire and not with the fire-fighter to use Churchill’s words. Police also persuade the parties for a settlement where the car driver would be the loser. The City Police Commissioner may issue a press note asking such victims of fake accident to call the Police on 112 or any other number (which may be publicised in the media) and act in lightning speed.

If Police have any other punitive action as a solution, the same may be publicised through the press. Whenever these criminals are caught Police must immediately file an FIR and fix them so that the action will be a deterrent to other such criminals.

I also recall what happened many years ago in Bengaluru in front of the Corporation Office (BBMP). I was driving a white Ambassador car with an old man sitting by my side in the front seat.

While I was taking a turn near the Police Station, which is right across the small park opposite BBMP Office, the traffic slowed down and I stopped my car.

The moment I stopped along with the other motorists, a rickshaw fellow came and asked me why I had hit his auto. I was shocked. He then asked me to take the car to a side not allowing me to go. As if by a coincidence or intent, a Police Inspector in white came there and asked me to take the vehicle to the nearby Police Station.

When I told him that I was from Mysuru and there was no accident at all, he said he too was in Mysuru and grumbled about the behaviour of the auto drivers.

We waited in the Police Station for a while when the Inspector told me that I could settle the matter by paying some amount to the auto driver and left the place.

I thought discretion is the better part of valour and paid that auto driver Rs. 400 after bargaining and left the place. One may read between the lines and understand what I have written.

– K.B. Ganapathy, Founder-Editor, SOM, Mysuru, 24.6.2023

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