- I Paid A Bribe
- 11 years ago
- 4205 views
I was having the photocopied RC, Insurance but Original Driving Licence
- Transport
- Duplicate Registration Certificate
- Paid INR 500
I along with my driver was returning back to my home town ( Gorakhpur ). We were stopped by a traffic police officer ( i would rather call him a man of ill repute ) at Polytechnic Flyover Underpass. This guy told us to show the documents of the car. I was just having the photocopies of RC and Insurance and my driver was having his original driving license. The officer told us to get down from the car and started saying that it is a major offence and told us that the DL would have to be submitted. Since, I was returning after giving my exams so I should him my Admit Card, my passport, pan card, voter id card and my DL. He was not at all satisfied with this and told that we can be asked to submit our DL, pay a hefty fine and then we would need to go to the courts to get back our DL ( imagine such people, trying to loot a person who is keeping his own business and a student). I have some trust in the system and so I asked him to tell us what we should do. He told me ring my father and told my father that I am not carrying the original documents. My father explained that in case the original documents gets lost then the owner has to face many problems. The officer took us to his sahab ( a hefty man with a pistol ). I tried to explain him my situation but was cut short by the other officer. He told me give 1000/- but then I had only 800/- with me. I insisted him he told me that "Bhaiya yaahan se Gorakhpur takk 17 chowk hai, aur har ek jagah 200 bhi doge to lut jaaoge", I crossed my hands and literally begged him, he told me took shell out 600/- and then reduced the amount to 500/-. He gave us a receipt of 100/- only and told us to run away asap.
Later on, I came back and saw that this offence ( alleged ) would have cost me only 100/-.
I felt so sorry that my father's hard earned money was given like alms to a beggar.
And then I felt that if I had argued with the officer, may be he would have stamped other charges on me.
I also wish to ask one question - If I am carrying original DL photocopies of RC and Insurance, am I still liable to pay the fine. 2) If the car gets stolen ( and the car has original documents in the glove compartment) then wouldn't it be easy for miscreants to forge the documents and use it for unscrupulous activities.
Now I think that that if I share my story with Senior Officials, then they will target me again.
So this post will be posted as anonymous