The death of a four-year-old girl in an accident which happened during a traffic stop in Mandya, has led Karnataka’s Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IG) to issue a strict directive to prevent such incidents in the future. The DG&IGP MA Saleem on Saturday, May 30, issued a circular instructing all police personnel across the state not to stop vehicles solely for document checks unless a visible traffic violation is committed.
On May 26, traffic police officers in Mandya stopped a motorbike carrying a four-year-old girl being rushed to the hospital after a dog bite. The sudden stop caused the rider to lose balance, resulting in all the passengers falling on the road. The child was run over by a truck and died on the spot. Her parents and uncle sustained injuries. The accident led to widespread public outrage, and three assistant sub-inspectors were suspended for negligence.
In the circular, Saleem said that no vehicle shall be intercepted without visible traffic rule violation and banned the practice of stopping vehicles for random document checks. He also prohibited traffic police from chasing vehicles or snatching keys or grabbing riders, adding that violators attempting to flee should be identified by their registration number and booked accordingly.
The circular also prohibits the use of zig-zag barricading on highways and sudden darting into roads to stop vehicles. Traffic inspections, if necessary, must be conducted with proper safety precautions including setting up reflective cones and markers 100–150 metres ahead of the checkpoint. “All officers must wear reflective jackets, carry LED batons during evening checks, and use body-worn cameras,” the circular said.
Saleem also directed that no inspections be conducted on national or state highways under any circumstances. Instead, enforcement should be carried out using STVR (Speed Traffic Violation Recording) systems. In areas equipped with Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) infrastructure, traffic police have been instructed to rely on technology and must conduct contactless enforcement.
The directive also restricts law and order police from conducting roadblocks without the involvement of traffic police. Night-time inspections, if required, should be carried out near junctions where signal lights are available to ensure visibility and safety.