Wardens manhandle Lesco SDO; probe ordered

LAHORE:Inspector General of Police Punjab Inam Ghani has taken notice of the incident of manhandling Lesco SDO Engineer Kashif Imran by three traffic wardens and ordered inquiry into the incident.

A senior officer of the Special Branch has also initiated an inquiry into the incident to fix responsibility. Sources said the inquiry team would record the statements of the wardens and the complainant while CCTV footage will also be reviewed to check the facts. Once the inquiry report is finalised, action will be taken if the traffic inspector and wardens were found guilty. Lesco SDO Engineer Kashif talking to The News said that he was on his way home from office on Wednesday evening and as he reached near Bhalla Chowk from Iqbal Town, he found one side of the road blocked with fruit carts. He found an empty road to reach Allah Hu Chowk where Inspector Mohsin, warden Abbas and another unidentified warden stopped his vehicle by hitting the screen with a metallic instrument. The Lesco officer told them that he needed to reach home but the wardens pulled his car keys and dragged him out of the car by pulling arm-collar. He alleged that the wardens also took his licence and threatened to cancel his licence. They neither issued him a ticket nor give any receipt of the licence. The road users gathered there and rescued the officer as the latter alleged that the wardens were all set to give him a good thrash. Safe City cameras would also help prove the manhandling of wardens, he added. He filed an application at the CTO office and urged him to hold an inquiry into the incident and take strict action against the accused officials.

The commuters talking to The News alleged that the wardens help encroach roads through vendors and then manhandle notable citizens just to issue challans. The PRO to CTO said action would be taken against the wardens if they were found guilty. He added there was a zero-tolerance policy against rude behavior. However, citizens should also cooperate with traffic police to help maintain traffic flow.