VASCO: A traffic sentinel found himself at the receiving end on Wednesday when he was attacked by a mob and his vehicle was damaged for clicking photos of traffic violations in Vasco.
So far the police have arrested two persons for the attack.
The victim, Alfred Almeida, a resident of Shantinagar, Vasco was clicking photos of traffic violators near Puma showroom near Tilak Maidan when he was attacked by a mob, who damaged his vehicle. The angry mob later overturned Alfred’s vehicle and he had to be taken to the police station under protection.
Alfred identified two of the accused namely Kedar Bharat Pednekar from New Vaddem and Suraj Satya Gawas Satardekar a resident of Belabai, Vasco who were booked under Sections 143, 341, 506, 506 (2), 352 and 427 rw 34 of IPC. They have been charged for creating mob violence, abusing, damaging vehicle, threatening and wrongfully restraining the complainant.
The police are in the process to identify more persons.
South Goa SP Arvind Gawas termed the incident as utter lawlessness and has assured action against all the accused.
“This is utter lawlessness. No one can take law in their hands and all accused will be taken to task. The police are always there to help the sentinels in distress and I assure that we will be very strict with the people who will interfere with the working of this scheme,” he warned.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sunita Sawant said, “Traffic sentinel scheme is a government approved and notified scheme for booking traffic violators. Vehicles on roads have increased because of which handful of police can’t control traffic violations. Hence, traffic sentinels are helping the police to keep the violations at bay.”
“People are expected to obey the Motor Vehicle Act when on road and if someone is disrupting or manhandling the traffic sentinels from helping the cause, they will be dealt with an iron fist,” warned Sawant.
