Ahmedabad: A traffic police officer allegedly slapped a young woman after a heated argument over his identity card on a public road in the Bhattha area near Anjali Crossroads in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on December 19 when the woman, identified as Bansari Thakkar, a resident of Vasna, was stopped at a junction for a driving licence check. While she was searching for her licence, she asked the on-duty officer to show his ID card.
Police sources said the officer, later identified as Jayanti Zala, showed his card. While returning it, the card accidentally fell to the ground, which reportedly angered him. It is alleged that he grabbed Bansari’s hand, kicked her vehicle, used abusive language and slapped her multiple times, causing injuries to her eye, ear and cheek.
Eyewitnesses said a crowd gathered as the situation escalated. In a video of the incident that has gone viral, the officer is also seen attempting to strike her with a baton, before being stopped by other police personnel.
Distressed, Bansari called the emergency helpline 112 and later went to the Paldi Police Station to lodge a complaint. She has alleged that she was initially refused and threatened with a counter-complaint by police personnel, including a woman officer. Eventually, she submitted a written application at around 11.50 pm.
Police said that as the matter involved traffic duty, she was advised to approach the traffic police. The Paldi police later stated that since there was an altercation between both sides, cross-complaints were registered.
While the woman alleged assault by the officer, police also registered a case against her for allegedly driving without a licence. Based on the video footage, an inquiry has been initiated into the conduct of the officer.
The incident has once again brought Ahmedabad’s traffic police under scrutiny, raising questions over the conduct of personnel on public duty and the safety of citizens, especially women.
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