Kolkata Police Register Case Against Army Truck Driver After Near-Collision With Police Commissioner’s Vehicle

Kolkata, Sept 2025 : The Kolkata Police on Tuesday confirmed that a case has been registered against the driver of an Indian Army truck for allegedly violating traffic rules and driving dangerously near the convoy of Police Commissioner Manoj Verma. The truck narrowly missed colliding with the Commissioner’s vehicle in a busy stretch of B.B.D. Bagh, prompting swift legal action.

In an official statement, the city police said, “A lot of misinformation is being circulated from certain quarters regarding action taken by police over an incident of violation of traffic rules. It is apparently clear from the CCTV footage that the truck in question was being driven in a dangerous manner, violating the traffic lane. The other vehicle narrowly escaped a collision, thanks to the alertness of its driver.”

Case Registered Under BNS

Based on a complaint filed by a traffic sergeant of the Headquarters Traffic Guard, a case has been registered at Hare Street Police Station against the Army truck driver under Section 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (rash or negligent driving). The police clarified that this was a straightforward matter of traffic violation and legal action was being pursued as per law.

“The public is advised not to be misled by unverified claims and to rely on authentic updates from official sources,” the Kolkata Police added in a social media post.

To reinforce its claims, the police also released CCTV footage of the incident on its official X account.

Sequence of Events

The incident occurred in front of Writers’ Buildings, the former State Secretariat, located in B.B.D. Bagh Square near Lalbazar—the headquarters of the Kolkata Police. According to officials, the Army truck, which originated from Fort William (the Eastern Command headquarters), attempted a prohibited right turn and came dangerously close to colliding with the Commissioner’s vehicle.

Thanks to the quick reflexes of the Police Commissioner’s driver, a collision was avoided. Officers from Hare Street Police Station soon reached the spot and seized the Army truck, which was later taken to the station for further proceedings.

Political Context

The episode comes at a sensitive time, just a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP-led central government of misusing the Indian Army. Her remarks followed a controversy on Monday, when Army personnel began dismantling a Trinamool Congress (TMC) stage erected beside the Gandhi statue at the Maidan in central Kolkata. The area is under the Army’s jurisdiction.

The TMC had set up the stage as part of its protest against alleged atrocities on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states. However, Army officials began to remove the structure, citing jurisdictional control. Chief Minister Banerjee personally rushed to the site and objected to the Army’s action. Following her intervention, the Army jawans halted the dismantling and left the area.

Clarifications and Reactions

In light of this backdrop, speculation has swirled around Tuesday’s traffic incident. However, police sources emphasized that the matter involving the Army truck was unrelated to the earlier controversy, describing it as a clear violation of traffic rules that endangered public safety.

The Kolkata Police underscored that its action was not politically motivated but purely legal and procedural, as the evidence from CCTV footage clearly demonstrated reckless driving.

With the case now registered, further investigation will determine the next course of action against the Army truck driver.