A team from the Robertsganj police station was deployed to a route in the Lodhi area of Uttar Pradesh on 15/9. They were working with a mining agency to inspect vehicles transporting minerals. When several mining trucks approached the checkpoint, at least 4 officers threw stones to try and stop the drivers, who did not comply with their signals to stop.
Some large stones were thrown directly at the trucks' windshields, the sound clearly audible in the video. The truck drivers did not stop, continuing to drive through the checkpoint.
The video of the incident was posted on social media and quickly gained attention. According to the Times of India (TOI), the officers involved in the stone-throwing have been suspended pending an investigation.
A complaint filed by the mining unit alleges that the truck drivers deliberately drove towards the inspection team when asked to stop and present their documents.
The police officers' actions in the video sparked outrage online, with most comments siding with the truck drivers and criticizing the police. Throwing stones to stop vehicles for inspection is illegal. Furthermore, the indiscriminate throwing of stones poses significant safety risks, as they could hit nearby pedestrians or even endanger those on two-wheeled vehicles.
The underlying issue appears to be overloading. Some trucks in the video have cargo bays - possibly larger than the manufacturer's recommended size - filled to the brim.
Overloading is illegal, as is modifying the size of cargo bays. However, according to Cartoq, these practices are common, especially in the mining industry. Business owners or fleet operators often pay substantial bribes to ensure smooth transport of their goods.
My Anh
