Police fail DSP seeking towing facility at night

Amit Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 8

WhatsApp group of the Chandigarh police that has the DGP, other senior officers and inspectors as members is in talk again. A DSP expressed his disappointment and agony in the group after he failed to get a police recovery van for his friend’s car which broke down on the road last night. He was also travelling in the vehicle.

The UT police claim that it provide towing facility to people whose cars broke down on the road between 11 pm and 6 am.

Sources said the car, in which DSP Jaswinder Singh was travelling, broke down near Matka Chowk at around 11.30 pm. The DSP called up the Police Control Room and asked for a recovery van. After sometime, a recovery van was sent to the spot. Since it couldn't safely lift the car from the front tyres, the DSP requested for another recovery van.

The DSP kept waiting and repeatedly calling for another recovery van, but to no avail. He started expressing his disappointment on the official WhatsApp group through several messages. He posted:

"No help is provided by our organisation despite repeated requests and instructions and the vehicle is being towed away by a private recovery vehicle." He also posted the picture of the receipt of Rs 1,000 he paid for getting the car towed away.

A series of messages that had been sent till around 3 am received a reaction from the DGP in the morning. He asked whether the vehicle was private or government one. The DSP (Traffic) replied that the recovery van that was on night duty was sent to the spot. However, it could not lift the vehicle as it is used to lift accidental vehicles, and the hydraulic recovery van was not available at night.

Late night towing facility seems eyewash

The tall claims of the UT police about providing late night towing facility to residents in case their vehicles break down seems to be complete eyewash in view of this incident. The facility is provided between 11 pm and 6 am. If a person requests the facility at night, then the police tow his vehicle to a safe place i.e. the nearest mechanic shop, vehicle owner’s residence within Chandigarh, police station or police post.