Four traffic police personnel stationed in Chitwan, including a sub-inspector, have been suspended for penalising the vehicle in which the Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office was travelling.

Secretary Lila Mani Poudel, along with his family, was heading to Kathmandu from Rupandehi in a reserved microbus when he was stopped by traffic police for a regular check in Ramnagar, Chitwan. The traffic police penalised the vehicle Rs 100 for plying on the highway without a route permit. According to the police on duty, they also issued a receipt, No.5054.

But Poudel reprimanded them for penalising his vehicle.

Police personnel Dipak Puri, Bikram Bhusal, Tirtha Raj Thakuri and Sub-Inspector Hari Chhetri were subsequently suspended.

"Secretary Poudel did an injustice to us by exercising his power," complained one of the suspended personnel. "Poudel talked over the phone for half an hour and scolded us," he told Nayapatrika, "We told him that he might be a big person but the charge was as per the law."

The suspended personnel said they had never thought action would be taken against them for enforcing the law.
The Regional Traffic Police Office, Hetauda, sent a letter on Thursday informing the four policemen of their suspension. "You are suspended for illegally extracting money from vehicles", states the letter, but there is no mention of the penalty the police claim to have applied.

Nayapatrika could not reach Poudel or SSP Nawaraj Dhakal at the Regional Police Office, Hetauda, for comment.

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