People may report unmanned barricades: Delhi Police to HC

New Delhi [India], September 5 : The Delhi Police on Monday informed the Delhi High Court that no barricades would be left unmanned on the roads in the national capital and people could report unguarded barricades ones at the 112 helpline number or on social media.
The police assured that they would act immediately on any such complaints.
A division bench of Justices Mukta Gupta and Anish Dayas said it was a "welcome step" and a check can be kept on unmanned barricades with this step.
The Delhi Police also filed a compliance report in which it said that departmental action has been initiated against six erring officials for leaving the barricades unattended on the road and the supervisory officers have been advised not to take a lenient view of such lapses.
The High Court was hearing a matter in which the court had taken suo motu cognizance of a letter written by a citizen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi which was sent to the Delhi High Court for taking action against the practice of putting up unmanned barricades on the roads in south Delhi.
The High Court was informed that the Delhi Police had issued new guidelines and as per those, no barricades will be put on roads during peak hours unless there is specific information regarding the law and order or crime detection under the order of a senior officer of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
Standing Counsels Santosh Kumar Tripathy and Arun Panwar, on behalf of Delhi Police, submitted that the staff will be briefed by the area traffic inspector that all unmanned or unattended obstructive barricades in their respective duty need to be immediately removed from roads or footpaths.
Delhi Police said that senior police officers would also pay special attention to placing barricades during their field visits.
It will be publicized through social media that it may be reported on the helpline number 112 or tweet tagging @dtptraffic and Delhi Police @delhipolice, if anyone finds any unattended barricade on road. The same shall be attended to by the SHO of the police station for immediate action, the police said.
The bench said that it was not passing any additional order in the matter and was only asking the police to comply with its standing order. The matter has been listed on November 14 for further hearing.
The Delhi Police, in its standing order, has also instructed its officials that while giving approval to barricaded checking, DCP would consider that checking be allowed during peak hours only in case of exigency.
" Further, barricaded checking to be avoided at points prone to traffic congestion like intersections, junctions, turns and near bus stops, loops, and other such places where chances of traffic build-up are higher," the order said.
It was noted by the court that the police were also proposing measures for putting barricades at non-gated residential colonies if such a request was made by the RWA.
The counsel for Delhi Police submitted that no study or pilot project has been done on this aspect and needs some time on this point.