Traffic cops in a fix over jurisdiction

Unlike the law and order or crime departments, which work on a well-defined jurisdictional system under 12 police districts in Chennai city, the traffic investigation department has their limits all messed up, making one inspector and assistant commissioner report on accident investigation in their jurisdiction to two or more deputy commissioners. 

“Our jurisdiction is not in sync with the law and order police limits and it spreads across several police districts. Only the investigating inspectors would be knowing his/her jurisdictional limits and senior police officials find it difficult to say which investigation wing would be handling an accident that happens in a particular area,” a senior traffic police official told DTNext. 

The senior police officials have been trying to set this right but the solution remains elusive for want of an earlier government order, which had defined the jurisdictional limits of city traffic investigation wing. 

“A former additional commissioner of traffic wanted to end this confusion and realign the jurisdiction of traffic investigation in sync with the law and order police stations. But he also could not do it as they were not able to find the government order,” the official added. 

According to senior officers, the present system throws up various problems. For example, when a probe conducted by the traffic investigation wing is not up to the mark, the senior officials do not know which inspector to seek a clear report. Traffic investigation inspectors are also aware of this handicap and take advantage of the situation. 

“When the inspectors know that there is hardly any monitoring by a senior police official on the investigation, they can take advantage of the situation and corruption comes into play. This system has to change,” the official added. 

Explaining the gravity of the situation, the official said, “If an accident takes place in Royapettah, I do not know which investigation wing will take up the enquiry. For example, if an accident occurs in Adyar, it may not be the Adyar investigation wing that handles the case, it may be the Pondy Bazaar wing as well. The inspectors may know their jurisdiction well, but a senior officer in charge of them will not. Moreover, the problem gets complicated in the case of a new inspector,” the official added.