Bhubaneswar: The police have allegedly heckled national hockey icon Prabodh Tirkey on a busy traffic junction late Saturday night.
The incident occurred near Kalinga Stadium, the venue of Asian athletics championships 2017 in the city. Prabodh was going to his Unit VI residence in his Indigo car when he was overtaken by an Innova car at Shastri Nagar square. The driver of the speeding car reportedly mumbled some inappropriate expletives against Tirkey provoking him to indulge in a verbal duel.
Meanwhile, Prabodh alleged, a traffic cop came to him and disrespectfully instructed him to move to roadside to allow a VIP vehicle pass by.
When Tirkey expressed his inability to manoevre his vehicle to the left in the busy junction, he was allegedly scolded by an assistant sub-inspector (traffic). Although Tirkey identified himself as a hockey celeb, the police official went on humiliating and heckling him. He said he was on the verge of tears as the cop was misbehaving with him in full public view.
However, police officials said a vehicle carrying Japanese team was expected to pass through the spot.
“The police official was paving way for the Japanese team when the incident happened,’’ said a police personnel.
Tirkey said the highhanded police personnel simply refused to listen to him or acknowledge his identity.
‘‘The matter was, however, amicably settled there. He has no complaint,” claimed Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrat Bhoi. DCP (traffic) Mahesh Narayan Bohidar said the matter is under investigation though there is no written complaint.
When contacted, Prabodh told Orissa POST he would file a complaint against the cop. “I will write to police commissioner and file a formal complaint in this regard within two days,” he added.
Meanwhile, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram condemned the incident and demanded strong action against the erring cop. ‘‘It is not only an insult to a player of national stature, but an insult to a tribal celebrity,’’ Oram tweeted Sunday.
BJP activists also staged a protests against the misconduct of police against Tirkey at Master Canteen here in the day. The saffron party demonstrators also demanded strong action against the cops involved in the matter.
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