[MDK]

I want to share my experience with traffic cops in Chandigarh today. It all happened in the morning when I was signaled by a couple of cops to stop my Octavia and asked to show my driving license. Initially I thought that it was a routine checking as a traffic awareness week had been in progress. But to my utter surprise the cops asked me to blow the horn of my car. Then one of them asked me to open the bonnet of my car and step outside. He then blew my car's horn in front of his senior colleague and said that this was a pressure horn and he would issue a challan ticket for the traffic violation of after-market fitted pressure horn. I had a harrowing time convincing him that I have not fiddled with the car's equipment at all and that was an original horn as it comes fitted by the company. I showed him my car's registration certificate trying to convince that the car is still under warranty and any such fitment would render it useless. But they did not pay a heed to my repeated pleading. Finally it was some intervention by a senior officer(whom I called up and happens to be my friend) that these dutiful cops let me go and that too with a suggestion that I should change my horn as early as possible.
My apprehension is if these cops are really not aware of the company fitted equipment or they just harass the public to make extra money. Whatever the reason may be the whole experience left a very bitter taste in my mouth. There is an old saying in Hindi "jiski laathi uski bhains" seems to be so
true here

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by MDK

Finally it was some intervention by a senior officer(whom I called up and happens to be my friend) that these dutiful cops let me go and that too with a suggestion that I should change my horn as early as possible.

The cops were just trying to pull a fast one on you but they relented. Any other non-car person would have tried to do a "settlement" with the cops. This must have been their main motive.

Good thing you had a contact you could call. Usually in such situations things can get ugly real fast (he said, she said).

[vinu_h]

Happened to me 15+ years ago. I asked them to accompany me to the OEM's service center and they immediately let me go.

[reignofchaos]

Happened with me in Bangalore with the Volvo horn as it is rather loud. I told him please come with me to the service center (which is anyways pretty close to home) and we'll confirm if it is genuine oem or not.

He realised it is not the effort and didn't bother me after that.

[EightSix]

Originally Posted by MDK

I want to share my experience with traffic cops in Chandigarh today.

But to my utter surprise the cops asked me to blow the horn of my car. Then one of them asked me to open the bonnet of my car and step outside.

He then blew my car's horn in front of his senior colleague and said that this was a pressure horn and he would issue a challan ticket for the traffic violation of after-market fitted pressure horn.

Finally it was some intervention by a senior officer(whom I called up and happens to be my friend) that these dutiful cops let me go and that too with a suggestion that I should change my horn as early as possible.

My apprehension is if these cops are really not aware of the company fitted equipment or they just harass the public to make extra money.

I don’t know what a Skoda Octavia’s horn note sounds like, but I’m guessing it sounds different than ordinary horns, and the cop knows it very well.

If you would have honked before, he noticed something weird with your horn, then pulled you over (in this sequence of incidents), then your first apprehension would have been correct.

But that was not the case.

He made you blow the horn immediately, so he must have used this trick before to extract money from unsuspecting Skoda Octavia owners.(non car guys like BHPian blackwasp said)

So you are right that these cops —

just harass the public to make extra money.

That was their real motive.

I showed him my car's registration certificate trying to convince that the car is still under warranty and any such fitment would render it useless. But they did not pay a heed to my repeated pleading.

Logic would never work with such people. If you try to argue on the basis of logic, THEN, (quoting Blackwasp)

things can get ugly real fast

Whatever the reason may be the whole experience left a very bitter taste in my mouth.

One should just ignore such things, that’s what I believe. I’m sure other BHPians too would advise you to not let this bother your mind.


Doesn’t changing the horn as advised by your friend (the senior cop) void your warranty too?

[RedTerrano]

I remember a similar incident circa 2014 in Bangalore. There were numerous cases (VW Polo if I think) where police would claim horns were illegal even though the owners rightly pointed out they were OEM.
I do not remember reading about a single incident where the cops used a decibel meter.

But then I do not remember reading about a single incident either, where cops used any VLT meters during the sun film fiasco.

Jai Ho.

[2000rpm]

Guys, please delete this thread!

Lets not give them ideas for nonsense extortion from common folks.

[gkveda]

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

I remember a similar incident circa 2014 in Bangalore. There were numerous cases (VW Polo if I think) where police would claim horns were illegal even though the owners rightly pointed out they were OEM.
I do not remember reading about a single incident where the cops used a decibel meter.

But then I do not remember reading about a single incident either, where cops used any VLT meters during the sun film fiasco.

Jai Ho.

Police have extra sensitive ears and eyes to determine whether horns, lights and sun films are within acceptable norms or not. They don't need any instruments to determine.

No, I am not joking. If we don't pay fine on spot, police would file a case and we may need to go to court to pay fines. One of my friend lawyer was saying, Even courts don't hear your arguments while paying fine. They just go with police challan and insists you to pay the fine.

Is it fair to accept fine by just looking at the challan and without an evidence for measuring the sound, light or sun film transparency? Also is it fair for the court NOT to listen to the car owner about lack of evidence with police?

[Durango Dude]

Originally Posted by MDK

He then blew my car's horn in front of his senior colleague and said that this was a pressure horn and he would issue a challan ticket for the traffic violation of after-market fitted pressure horn. I had a harrowing time convincing him that I have not fiddled with the car's equipment at all and that was an original horn as it comes fitted by the company

Sorry to hear of your harrowing experience, they sure wouldn't stop me as my City's horn is so meek that no one ever pays heed when I honk.

[rdst_1]

Originally Posted by gkveda

No, I am not joking. If we don't pay fine on spot, police would file a case and we may need to go to court to pay fines. One of my friend lawyer was saying, Even courts don't hear your arguments while paying fine. They just go with police challan and insists you to pay the fine.

Is it fair to accept fine by just looking at the challan and without an evidence for measuring the sound, light or sun film transparency? Also is it fair for the court NOT to listen to the car owner about lack of evidence with police?

That's not how it works. What people usually go to, is a sentencing hearing. In those, it is assumed that you are already agreeing that you are guilty, which most people usually are. If you aren't, you can request the judge presiding over these hearings for a proper court date. I had enquired about this from a known lawyer in the Chandigarh court when I had to go there a few years ago as even I was contemplating challenging the fine, but I wasn't too sure of my own speed and since I was no longer living in Chandigarh, the 200 bucks fine that the judge gave me seemed to be the easier way out. Trust me, if I was living in Chandigarh at that time, I would have contested the charge just for the sake of it.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by gkveda

No, I am not joking. If we don't pay fine on spot, police would file a case and we may need to go to court to pay fines. One of my friend lawyer was saying, Even courts don't hear your arguments while paying fine. They just go with police challan and insists you to pay the fine.

Is it fair to accept fine by just looking at the challan and without an evidence for measuring the sound, light or sun film transparency? Also is it fair for the court NOT to listen to the car owner about lack of evidence with police?

If you read the receipt or challan issued by the cops, it is "compounding fee", that is a fine you agree to pay instead of settling the dispute in the court (in layman's terms). Certain offences are compoundable, i.e. you can pay a fine on the spot and escape further penal action, and some aren't, meaning you can't escape by just paying the fine and will face further penal action.

Payment of the fine is not admission of guilt or offence. Even after one has paid the fine, one can contest it in a court and get it reversed if one can prove his or her innocence.

Usually for a few hundred bucks nobody bothers to go to court and waste a few thousand bucks, but that's a different matter.

[frewper]

Originally Posted by MDK

My apprehension is if these cops are really not aware of the company fitted equipment or they just harass the public to make extra money. Whatever the reason may be the whole experience left a very bitter taste in my mouth. There is an old saying in Hindi "jiski laathi uski bhains" seems to be so
true here

Well not surprised at all. I have always maintained that our dear cops of this country will only intervene if they have to make money on the side.

If you are an honest tax-paying, law abiding citizen of this country then you are on their target list, because they are the ones who will pay up and not make a fuss.

And if you voluntarily go to them seeking help for some reason, the first thing that they do is ask you to give you a written complaint and then tell you to go home because as per them that is the only thing that they can do. But if it they are to do a nakabandi and look for loud horns they will work like a 12th Std kid who is very adamant to get into IIT. Just because they can make something on the side.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by MDK

I want to share my experience with traffic cops in Chandigarh today.

Sorry to hear your experience MDK. I agree with one of the comments above - our policemen do have special senses that exceed (at least in their minds) all the scientific tools available for a layman.

Recent experience with fines in a COVID world has been really ironic. On one hand, the government is printing money like there is no tomorrow. On the other hand, cops are levying fines left-right and centre to put the money back in government coffers as if all hell has broken loose. It’s a crazy world!

Full disclaimer: Yours truly was challaned few months back for not wearing a mask while driving with wife as the co-passenger.

[MDK]

Seems like we all had been at a receiving end in one way or the other cos of these unwritten rules ,like a fellow rightly pointed out about the decibel meter for sound. And cops take undue advantages of this fact. The worst part is that we accept it as a passe and move on.
But I have decided not to take the things so lightly this time. So I shot a mail to DSP and cc to DGP Chandigarh about the incidence. And best part is that these senior officers have marked an inquiry for the area SHO as well. Now it may sound stupid or waste of time for escalating a trivial issue but I am thinking otherwise. I shall keep you posted as the matter unfolds.

[MDK]

Originally Posted by warrioraks

Sorry to hear your experience MDK. I agree with one of the comments above - our policemen do have special senses that exceed (at least in their minds) all the scientific tools available for a layman.

Recent experience with fines in a COVID world has been really ironic. On one hand, the government is printing money like there is no tomorrow. On the other hand, cops are levying fines left-right and centre to put the money back in government coffers as if all hell has broken loose.

Full disclaimer: Yours truly was challaned few months back for not wearing a mask while driving with only wife as the co-passenger.

Sounds atrocious to be fined for not wearing the mask while driving with your family. But yes that's true and sad part is probably the government has to resort to such measures for the public to understand the implications of this disease and the importance of social distancing and wearing of masks at all the public places.