Top cop gets challan for wrong parking

HYDERABAD: Additional commissioner of police (Traffic) CV Anand was caught for breaking traffic rules on Thursday. What’s more, he also paid a challan issued to him for the violation. A smiling Anand paid Rs100 while his driver paid the remaining Rs100 on the busy Somajiguda road while all his subordinates stood there smiling sheepishly. V Chandra Kumar, the Punjagutta traffic Inspector issued the challan as Anand’s vehicle was parked in a no-parking area.It was around 12.30 p.m when a black Scorpio (AP 9 PA 0360) came and parked on the middle of the road near the Blackberry showroom at Somajiguda circle. A few minutes later, V Chandra Kumar, the traffic inspector issued a challan to the driver Syed Zakiruddin for driving without an original licence and parking on the middle of the road.  The incident comes close on the heels of a traffic inspector issuing a challan to his boss for wrong-side driving on Wednesday, as part of the drive to crack down on police vehicles flouting traffic rules.“I did not hesitate to issue a challan to the additional commissioner of police (traffic) CV Anand’s vehicle as he has himself asked all police officials to follow traffic rules. It was only a part of my duty to issue a challan and collect the fine from the errant driver,’’ Chandra Kumar said. Reacting over the issue, CV Anand said, “I paid `200 to the traffic inspector as my vehicle was parked in a wrong place and my driver had no driving licence with him. All are equal before law and there should be no exemption for even police officials found guilty of violating traffic rules.”  Meanwhile, traffic police have booked 516 cases on police vehicles and collected `1.11 lakh in fines in the two days of the special drive which kicked off on August 11. The 516 cases include 53 for wrong side driving, 48 stop line violations, 26 cases of signal jumping, wrong parking in 92 cases, 17 cases of triple riding, four for driving while using a mobile, 185 cases of irregular number plates and 91 cases of vehicles not having Pollution Under Control certificates.  Anand said they would continue the special drive on police vehicles till August 15 and another drive on other government vehicles will be started from August 16.