Date:26/05/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/05/26/stories/2003052607100300.htm

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Mobile court vehicles at Vepery traffic office ransacked

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI MAY 25. Miscreants broke the window panes of three mobile court vehicles stationed inside the premises of the City Traffic Headquarters at Vepery and ransacked the vehicles, early this morning.

Culprits managed to gain entry into all the three vehicles after breaking the windowpanes and reportedly searched the judges' desks. Officers maintained that no valuable was stolen from the vehicles, which they said had been lying idle for sometime now.

The incident that has taken place right inside the premises of the Joint Commissioner of Police's (Traffic) office has raised serious questions on the security arrangements at the Headquarters of the City Traffic Police. The buses were parked at the far end of the premises where the seized vehicles were kept, very close to the E.V.K. Road and Poonamallee Road junction.

It is surprising that the incident, believed to have taken place in the wee hours, went unnoticed, as there is round-the-clock security at the office. The vehicles are used to pull up traffic offenders and to fine them on the spot.

Meanwhile, the traffic police continued its drive against vehicles plying without proper documents in the city. So far, 862 of the 4,000-odd vehicles that were operating without proper documents have been detained.