Corruption at its most brazen: A viral clip from Katihar, Bihar, captures traffic cops haggling fines down from Rs 6000 to a mere Rs 200 payoff at a tea stall. The sub-inspector and homeguard, stationed at Manihari Mor under Sahayak police station, allegedly ran this scheme routinely, turning a simple chai dhaba into their bribe collection center.
Eyewitness footage details the ordeal. A motorist pulled over for breaking rules pleads for leniency. The officers dangle the threat of a massive fine, then whisper about dropping Rs 200 at the tea shop to make it ‘disappear.’ The driver’s covert recording exposes the scam in stark detail, fueling outrage online.
Katihar’s Superintendent of Police, Shikhar Chaudhary, wasted no time. FIRs were filed against the duo, with the homeguard swiftly detained. The SI, however, has fled, escalating the drama. This episode lays bare systemic flaws in traffic policing, where enforcement bows to extortion.
Community leaders decry the practice as endemic, with drivers often forced to choose between compliance or confrontation. The tea stall owner, implicated as a middleman, now faces scrutiny. As the probe deepens, calls grow for digital challan systems to curb such malpractices.
While police vow zero tolerance, skeptics point to recurring scandals. This viral video might just be the catalyst for reform, compelling higher-ups to clean house and restore faith in Bihar’s roads.
