My stint with the "Bangalore City Traffic Police"

1st Jan, 2009 - Just after an hour or so after creating my blog, i get a notice frm the police.. yes.. this year hasnt started off on a very good note for me.. was shocked to get a Violation Notice from the so-called "Enforcement Automation Centre".. a division of the Bangalore City Traffic Police (wonder why they do not know that its Bengaluru now).. infact, a series of shocks to me in the same notice.. 

Shock No. 1 - 

Offence : NOT WEARING HELMET TO HEAD WHILE RIDING THE VEHICLE.. (i've never been out on my vehicle without my helmet on..)

Shock No. 2 - 

Place : JC Nagara Police Station Junction.. (honestly, i've never been to that area till daybefore yesterday..)

Shock No. 3 - 

Time & Date : 1015 hrs.. 06-Dec-08 (WTF..!! its a saturday.. had gone to bed late on friday night and woke up on saturday at around 11...)

Fine payable Rs. 100 (Rupees One Hundred Only)..

duh...!! its not about the money.. its about the damn fact that i was in a deep sleep when this thing happened at all..

2nd Jan, 2009 - I had decided i'm not gonna pay these useless idiots.. n that i'll go to the police station to seek clarification.. but my parents were against me going to the station (still a taboo..) and that i pay the fine at Bangalore One centre instead of paying at a police station... but i sticked to my plan... was never gonna change..

3rd Jan, 2009 - Parents had gone to Hyderabad.. n i decided to callup these guys n seek clarification.. n so i call up the Enforcement Automation Centre first.. they said i needed to callup the police station nearest to the place where the incident took place... (did he say "incident"...!!?? - Goundamani style'la inge oru feeling..SAMBHAVAMAA...!!??)

Alright.. i had to do it.. called up the JC Nagara Police Station.. n i get a reply saying.. "no sir.. even though it is stated that its near our station, this doesnt come under our jurisdiction".. so who the hell should i speak to.. "u need to talk to ppl in Hebbal-RT Nagar police station as they take care of these things".. got the contact number from them n call them up... the guy on phone said "Please come to the station sir.. we can see what is to be done.." I'M INVITED TO THE POLICE STATION.. wow... i'm the first in my family to go the police station...!!!  :D

I reached the place after asking for directions a few times.. infact, quite a lot of times... there i was.. entering the police station for the first time... (uh huh.. so this is it.. a real police station looks like this eh...) asked the constable there about who i needed to speak to abt this "incident".. he said that this wasnt the station to talk abt this.. as it was a normal police station.. n i needed to go to the Traffic Police Station (my first stint at the police station turned out to be a damp squib..) 

I was told that the traffic police station was abt a hundred metres down the road.. went there.. n wasnt able to find anything that looked like a police station.. n wen i asked a guy at the nearby roadside shop, was directed to a building which was looking nothing like a police station. infact it wasnt looking like it was occupied by anyone at all.. n wen i went inside, it looked exactly like an old abandoned building u wud see in a movie like Kakha Kakha or Khakee or Ransom... went to the second floor where i could hear some voices.. thought thank god, there are some people in this place... quickly learnt that it was also the Traffic Control Room for the area.. wen i heard someone sayin on the microphone "hello.. traffic control room..." (watever.. hoped to get a clarification atleast here..)

Pic above - The building frm outside.. with absolutely no boards or hoardings on it...

I met a constable again there by name Mohan.. showed him the notice.. he stared at me for a moment.. then at the notice.. he kept staring at it for so long that i had to "wake" him up.. he then went to his table n took out a bunch of sheets which were "Traffic Violation Reports" submitted by various traffic constables.. there were a zillion of them.. this guy kept turning them one by one.. for almost 20-30 minutes.. to find the one which had the details of my offense... there it is.. my HOPE.. 

He took that out frm the file n showed me the details submitted by one particular traffic constable (that useless drunken daawwwwg..) who was on duty that particular day.. he then showed me the register where the constable had signed for his duty that day.. he had written my bike's registration number very clearly on the violation report, as if he stood very next to my bike n noted down the number... (but the fact - my bike was parked at my home at that time).. Constable Mohan wasnt ready to listen to me n he told me that i needed to show the proof that i was not at the place where i was noticed for riding without helmet... was like WTF again.. how the hell can i show the proof of me being asleep at that time...!!!?? i asked him if he had any video proof that it was me there riding without helmet.. got in return a stare with a strange grimace on his face.. almost conveying "WAT..?? U KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO.. DONT YOU...??" (alright.. it was too much of me to ask that question to a constable.. as if he committed some crime..) but i had no other option...

He finally said i can now only go to the Enforcement Automation Centre(EAC) to seek any furthur clarification now, as his duty of showing me the proof was over.. alright man.. all i'm saying is i was sleeping and my bike was parked at my home wen this so-called incident happened... how can even this be possible...!!!??? but no use.. he refused to say anything... came back home with all HOPES gone waste... :(

4th Jan, 4009 - I tried calling up the EAC to find if there was any use going there at all.. did some 5-6 toimes.. but no one was answering the calls.. duh.. this is it.. i gave up hope, didnt want to waste any more time n will better pay the fine (ofcourse, without having committed the offence..) also, the notice said "Failure to pay the fine is an offence, which shall be punishable with an imprisonment for a term of which may extend to 3 months or with fine which may extend to Rs. 500/- or with both. We accept Cash or DD's" (wonder why dont they accept credit cards)

Today - On my way back home, went to a traffic police station which was on the way.. but get an answer saying "the server is down.. please pay the fine after 2-3 days.." here we go.. after all these things, there is still something that is preventing me from paying the fine.. wat could that be... HOPE again...!!??? what should i do now...!!??? am i missing something...!!??  is there any proof i can show that i was asleep at home...!!???