Sand dealer oils wheels of police

Burdwan, July 24: The senior-most police officer in Burdwan has been using a car belonging to a local sand dealer who wants to keep “good relations” with the cops — a cosy arrangement that reeks of cronyism.

Burdwan superintendent of police Humayun Kabir is being ferried in the Innova although two air-conditioned Scorpios have been hired and set aside for the officer. The hiring of non-commercial vehicles for officials is prohibited to ensure that favours are not sought and citizens are not arm-twisted by those in power.

The district police’s motor transport department does not — or cannot because of the rule — pay any money for the Innova to its owner, Jogindra Barman.

Barman said he had given his car for the SP’s use as part of a “public relations exercise”.

“See, I am a sand dealer and for that, I have to keep good relations with the police. I have given my Innova for the use of the SP as part of my public relations exercise with the police. I don’t take any money for the vehicle even though the district motor transport officer had offered me Rs 13,500 per month,” said Barman, who owns two sand quarries in Burdwan’s Raina and Khandaghosh.

The motor transport officer (MTO) of the district police, Kumarjit Trivedi, declined comment. “You please ask the SP about it as I am not the competent authority to speak to the media,” Trivedi said.

Asked, Kabir told The Telegraph: “I was not aware it was a privately owned car. I had asked the motor transport section to arrange an Innova for my use. Now that I have learnt that it is a privately owned non-commercial car, I will enquire about it from the MTO. I actually didn’t know that privately owned cars which are non-commercial cannot be hired.”

Law minister Malay Ghatak, who hails from Burdwan district, said: “I am surprised to hear that the SP is using a private car which is non-commercial and that the owner is not getting any money for it. This is a serious offence. I will bring this to the notice of Mamata Banerjee and request her to start an inquiry.”

A senior district police officer said a government department couldn’t hire or use any non-commercial vehicle. “A commercial vehicle which the police can hire will bear a WB 41 number plate in Burdwan town. (In Calcutta, the prefix will be WB 04). The transport officer cannot show a non-commercial vehicle as a vehicle hired by the police,” the officer added. The Innova used by the SP sports the number WB 42 R 0078.

A district treasury officer said that no government official, not even one from the police, could hire non-commercial vehicles for official use except during elections. “The finance department will not pay any bill for a privately owned non-commercial car even if it is used by a senior government or police officer,” the officer said.

The driver of the Innova, Chandan Bag, 32, wears camouflage fatigues and feels “thrilled” as he looks like a policeman. “I am not a policeman but I was asked to wear the camouflage dress used by the police. I feel thrilled wearing it as I look like a policeman,” Chandan said.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had instructed police authorities last month to refrain from using hired vehicles. The move was aimed at preventing outsiders from gaining access to secret information and at putting an end to the “tout raj”.

Sources said the touts — mostly some drivers and their aides — took money to facilitate the release of people arrested for petty crimes or have the cases against them diluted. The sources also said that the drivers of the hired vehicles had easy access to police stations and often came to know secret information.