Kolkata Police stops army truck for reckless driving a day after TMC stage dismantled

Kolkata Police stopped an army truck for reckless driving near Writers’ Buildings on Tuesday, a day after the army dismantled a TMC protest stage. Police filed a case, while the army denied wrongdoing, saying no traffic rules were violated

Kolkata: Kolkata Police on Tuesday intercepted a military truck for alleged reckless driving, a day after the army dismantled a stage erected by the TMC to protest alleged atrocities on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled States.

A case of dangerous driving was slapped against the army personnel driving the truck. The incident took place around 11 am in front of the Writers’ Buildings, a senior police officer said.

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“The vehicle was moving at such a high speed that it could have led to a major accident while negotiating a turn. Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma’s vehicle was trailing the truck,” the officer said.

A CCTV footage released by Kolkata Police, capturing the sequence of events leading to the moment when traffic officials stopped the truck, showed the army vehicle slowing down at the Writers’ Buildings traffic signal on the left flank of BBD Bag North Road, from where it made a sudden attempt to swerve right towards the south.

In the process, the truck narrowly missed hitting Verma’s car, which was following the army vehicle and overtook it sharply from the right side at the signal in its bid to avoid an accident. Police officials managing traffic at the busy intersection were then seen running towards the truck and stopping it for violating as traffic signs at the crossing forbade vehicles from taking right turns from the left flank of the road.

According to the army officials, the truck was headed from Fort William, the army’s Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata, to the Passport Office on Brabourne Road near BBD Bag. The truck, carrying two army jawans, was later escorted to Hare Street police station, the officer said, adding that a case has been registered against the driver under relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act for dangerous driving.

Officers from Fort William also reached the police station to speak to the police about the incident. Army officials, however, denied any wrongdoing, stating that the vehicle was stopped by police just as it was taking a turn near the Writers’ Building. They maintained that no traffic rules were violated.

Less than 24 hours ago, dramatic scenes were witnessed in the city, not far from the site of Tuesday’s traffic violation incident, after army officials dismantled a Trinamool Congress dharna platform at the base of the Gandhi Statue on Mayo Road, an area owned and administered by the defence forces, on grounds that the party had overshot its permission tenure.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to the spot and accused the BJP of “misusing the Indian Army” to push its agenda of “vendetta politics” against the TMC.