Caught on camera: Patiala traffic cop begs for mercy after trucker exposes bribe stunt

A Patiala traffic police officer faces corruption allegations after a video showing him taking a bribe from a truck driver went viral on social media. The incident, involving Traffic In-charge Jagwinder Singh, escalated when a second video appeared online showing the officer with folded hands asking for an apology, while his colleagues tried to settle the matter to avoid a formal complaint.

The truck driver, Sham Lal, a resident of Bikaner in Rajasthan who also runs a YouTube channel, said he was driving his heavy vehicle past the Sirhind bypass when traffic personnel stopped him under the pretext of a routine check. According to Lal, the police team threatened him with heavy penalties before allegedly extorting 500 rupees to let him pass.

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At the same checkpoint, another truck driver, Sandeep Singh from Cheeka in Haryana, was asked to pay an unauthorized entry fee. When Singh refused to comply, the police personnel issued a hefty fine of 2500 rupees against his vehicle.

After paying the cash, Lal parked his truck a short distance away and began taking photographs of Singh’s penalized vehicle. Observing this, Jagwinder Singh allegedly arrived on a motorcycle and began photographing Lal’s truck to issue a second fine.

Lal immediately pulled out his mobile phone and started filming the encounter. “First they took a bribe of 500 rupees from us, and now they are taking pictures of the vehicle to issue another fine,” Lal said while recording the confrontation on his camera. Upon realizing he was being recorded, the traffic officer quickly rode away from the spot.

Lal has lodged a formal written complaint regarding the harassment at the Urban Estate police station. While the subsequent video shows the traffic officer apologizing and his team pushing for a compromise, senior officials within the district police department have chosen not to issue any official statement regarding the viral footage or the ongoing investigation.