Was an Indian Army truck driver booked for rash driving after almost colliding with Kolkata Police Commissioner's vehicle?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Legal action against the driver for rash driving.
- CCTV footage supports police claims of dangerous driving.
- Public advised against believing unverified information.
- Political tensions highlighted following the incident.
- Importance of traffic safety emphasized.
Kolkata, Sep 2 (NationPress) The Kolkata Police announced on Tuesday that legal proceedings have been initiated against the driver of an Indian Army truck following an incident where the vehicle nearly collided with Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma's car.
In a post on their official X account, the Kolkata Police addressed the rampant spread of misinformation regarding the incident.
The police shared CCTV footage to substantiate their claims. “Numerous inaccurate statements are circulating about police actions regarding a traffic rules violation. The CCTV clearly shows that the truck was being driven dangerously, violating traffic lanes. The other vehicle narrowly avoided a collision due to the driver’s vigilance,” said the police.
According to sources, a complaint lodged by a traffic sergeant from the Headquarters Traffic Guard led to a case being filed against the Army truck driver at Hare Street Police Station under Section 281 (rash or negligent driving) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“This is an instance of traffic rule violation and legal action is being pursued as per the law against the driver of the offending vehicle. The public is urged not to be misled by unverified claims and to rely on authentic updates from official sources,” the Kolkata Police emphasized in their social media communication.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Kolkata Traffic Police seized an Indian Army truck for dangerous driving as it came alarmingly close to the vehicle of Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma.
This incident occurred in front of the Writers' Buildings (the former State Secretariat) in B.B.D. Bagh Square near Lalbazar (Kolkata Police headquarters).
The Kolkata Traffic Police reported that the Army truck, which had originated from Fort William (the Eastern Command headquarters of the Indian Army), was driving recklessly.
Despite a prohibition against right turns, the Army truck attempted to take a right turn and narrowly avoided colliding with the Commissioner’s vehicle, thanks to the alertness of the City Police Commissioner’s driver.
Subsequently, officers from Hare Street Police Station arrived at the scene and seized the Army truck.
The truck was then transported to Hare Street Police Station where the case against the driver was filed.
This incident follows a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the “Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government of misusing” the Indian Army after its personnel dismantled a stage erected by the Trinamool Congress to protest against perceived atrocities against Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states.
On Monday, the Indian Army began dismantling the Trinamool Congress stage next to the Gandhi statue in the Maidan area of central Kolkata, which is under Army jurisdiction.
Upon hearing of the event, Chief Minister Banerjee rushed to the location and protested against the Army's actions.
Upon her arrival, Indian Army personnel halted their dismantling of the stage and vacated the area.