Ludhiana Police Commissioner orders inquiry into collection of Goonda Tax by Punjab Police

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##ad_1##LUDHIANA: To the embarrassment of Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, on a complaint made by senior lawyer and writer-journalist Balbir Singh Sooch, Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana Ishwar Singh on Monday ordered an inquiry by Deputy Commissioner of Police about collection of Goonda Tax by city traffic police.

Balbir Singh Sooch who claims to be witness to collection of Goonda Tax by traffic police said that ADCP/Traffic, Ludhiana Sajjan Singh Cheema was openly justifying the act of issuing receipt cards by some organizations to collect ‘Goonda Tax’ in connivance with the Traffic Police on one or the other pretext. Sooch has alleged that traffic police was tool in collection of Gooda Tax. The cards issued to commercial vehicles are checked at every police naka to give them way.

Sooch said that he highlighted the menace before the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana and the ADCP/Traffic. But his outspoken behaviour was also cause of irritation initially for the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, though he said that an email sent on November 14, 2010 to police on the subject, ‘CORRUPTION: Encounter with Punjab Traffic Police would be helping us to improve the traffic system.Sooch also thanked PunjabNewsline editor Satinder Bains for helping to raise the issue.

Sooch told the Commissioner that he was feeling ashamed to bring the drawbacks about the reasons of Traffic jams and the humiliation faced by common and the unprivileged people like him in the hands of Traffic police, Ludhiana and it may also very likely to be a general phenomena throughout India which is already in your knowledge or supposed to be in your knowledge more than me in detail.

The Commissioner of Police instructed the ADCP/Traffic, Ludhiana that such organizations issuing the cards after collecting money should never use my name anywhere or in any function conducted by them hereafter.

The ADCP/Traffic Sajjan Singh Cheema in reply, started defending himself that they have already taken into possession hundreds of such cards issued by the various organizations and others, disclosing their identity to the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana. Cheema had earlier denied presence of any such cards.

Commissioner of Police assured Balbir Singh Sooch, “I have already entrusted inquiry to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana from taking it from ADCP/Traffic, Sajjan Singh Cheema”.

Balbir Singh Sooch while travelling in a tempo a few days back was stopped by traffic police and the driver was asked to show the card (receipt) of payment made to so and so organisation. Sooch happened to sit in the tempo while carrying some domestic material. The police not only misbehaced with Sooch but also defended itslef. The tempo driver later told Sooch that they are not allowed to move in the city without paying the 'Goonda Tax' collected in the name of certain social organisations.