EXEMPLARY SERVICE

Cops risk their lives to catch speeding driver, ‘journo’ dad saves himThe mention of “media”, “press” or “I am a journalist” often sees the best of cops turning lenient. Here is yet another case in which two traffic policemen with exemplary service records did the same upon hearing a traffic violator’s father claiming to be a ‘journalist’.Traffic police sub-inspector (PSI) HM Munichannappa and head constable BR Dhanraj attached to the Shivajinagar traffic police station risked their lives to chase and catch a 21-year-old multiple traffic violator Muzamil who almost killed several other motorists in a dash of reckless driving late on Sunday morning. But the claim to be a “journalist” by the youth’s father over a phone call to the cops put paid the duo’s efforts. The two cops refrained from booking a criminal case against Muzamil, a resident of Jigani; instead they merely fined him 3,600 under various traffic violations including defective registration number plate, driving without driving licence or vehicle insurance, extremely dangerous driving, obstructing traffic, refusal to stop at traffic signals, not wearing a seat belt and driving the wrong side on one-ways.The 16-minute tense chase by traffic sub-inspector Munichannappa and head constable Dhanraj from Shivajinagar bus stand till the High Court’s rear gates saw the recklessly speeding Muzamil almost killing other motorists on his way.Munichannappa and Dhanraj were deployed near Shivajinagar bus stand when they saw a car speeding into the no-entry lane at around 11.35 am. The lane is assigned specifically for BMTC buses. The duo asked the speeding youth to stop, but Muzamil only stepped on the accelerator, almost running over Munichannappa and Dhanraj besides almost crushing other policemen there who tried to stop the vehicle.Dhanraj reacted with lightning speed. He jumped on to Munichannappa’s Pulsar motorcycle and with the latter as the pillion rider, began chasing Muzamil.The youth sped towards Balekundri Circle (Indian Express junction) and on reaching Ramada Hotel, Dhanraj managed to speed alongside the car. However, despite his ordering Muzamil to immediately stop the car, the youth continued speeding away recklessly.Dhanraj did not give up and sped alongside the car, even at the risk of being knocked down had the side of the speeding car brushed against the motorcycle.Muzamil jumped the red signals at Balekundri Circle and Traffic Management Centre and drove into the one-way in front of traffic police headquarters and towards Coffee Board Junction where shocked motorists screeched to a halt or swerved to the side to avert a disaster.Finally, at 11.51 am, Muzamil found himself trapped at the rear gates of the High Court which were closed, it being a Sunday, and surrendered to Muni­channappa and Dhanraj.Apart not having a driving licence, young Muzamil was not even carrying the vehicle registration certificate and the insurance was found to have lapsed. So Muni­channappa decided to book a case against the boy’s father in Commercial Street police station.It was then that the youth called up his father who introduced himself as ‘Rafiq’ and claimed to be a ‘journalist’. He pleaded with Munichannappa and Dhanraj not to proceed with a criminal plaint. The traffic police duo had planned to call in the law and order police from Commercial Street police station and slap criminal charges. But the father’s pleading seemed to weigh heavier on the cops who finally let Muzamil go after slapping a total fine amount of Rs 3,600.Unfortunately, no one tried to verify whether Rafiq is actually a journalist, let alone respecting the fact that journalists are not above the law!May 2014: Munichannappa and Dhanraj prevented a major robbery due to their alertness while on duty. Two robbers had attacked two Bhima Jewellers employees by throwing chilly power into their eyes and robbed them of Rs 50.3 lakh cash while they were on their way to a bank. Munichannappa and Dhanraj who were at the Main Guard junction chased the miscreants and managed to catch the one with the cash bag.A BMTC bus which had broken down in the middle of the road in front of Hotel Oberoi off MG Road suffered a brake failure when it was being pushed to the roadside. The driver, unable to control the vehicle, rammed onto the footpath in front of 1 MG Mall. That was when Muni­chanappa who was on duty with Ulsoor Traffic police alerted the public to make way for the brakeless bus to ensure that no one was injured in the incident. He stopped all vehicles coming in from the Ulsoor Gurudvara side until the mechanic finally stopped the bus near the lake by driving over the footpath and cutting the speed to a dead halt.