"I Could Have Been Seriously Injured": Digboi Man’s Experience Highlights Dangerous Police Oversight

A shaken but uninjured Shubhankar Bhattacharjee, a resident from Digboi town in Assam's Tinsukia district has posed a blunt question to the town’s police and civic authorities after a bamboo pole protruding from a goods vehicle struck his helmet yesterday at the Chariali traffic point: “Is it even legal under the Motor Vehicles Act to carry bamboo poles projecting dangerously out of a vehicle?”

Bhattacharjee, who was stationary at the signal while returning from work, says the vehicle carrying long bamboo poles turned toward the railway gate and one pole swung out, grazing his head. He escaped without injury only because he was wearing a helmet. However, when he confronted the driver, the motorist shrugged off responsibility, claiming he had moved because the traffic police signalled him. The driver’s reaction — telling Bhattacharjee to “maintain distance” and to “go to the police” if he wished — has left residents outraged and the victim demanding action.

Bhattacharjie’s question to the concerned authorities is a pointed one. It finds a clear answer in law: carrying such projecting loads in the manner described is illegal and dangerous. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules lay down specific duties and limits for loading. The law makes it an offence to allow a vehicle to be used when it is loaded in a way that is dangerous to human life or likely to cause injury; a vehicle carrying long poles that jut out far beyond its body squarely falls into that description. The penalties are not trivial — the law allows for fines, possible detention of the vehicle and suspension of the driver’s licence when vehicles are found dangerously loaded.

The rules also set limits on how far a load may project beyond a vehicle’s front or rear and require visible safety signals: any projection must be properly indicated with a red flag by day and a red light by night. In Bhattacharjee’s account there were no such warnings and the poles extended well beyond what the rules permit. Separate provisions dealing with reckless or negligent driving further underline the driver’s responsibility: even if a police officer signals a vehicle to move, the duty to take proper precautions and to secure the load remains with the driver.

Bhattacharjee’s post does more than describe a near-miss — it calls out a systemic enforcement gap. Citizens often see such overloaded or poorly secured goods vehicles on town roads, yet action by traffic authorities is sporadic. That failure can stem from many practical bottlenecks: enforcement manpower constraints, the sheer volume of daily commercial traffic, or simple complacency. But none of these excuses change the legal position: the law obliges drivers to secure loads and penalises those who flout safety norms.

Practical remedies are available and Bhattacharjee’s appeal is also a guide to other commuters. Even when a vehicle number cannot be recorded, citizens can report dangerous cargo by uploading photos to official portals such as the mParivahan or e-Challan apps, call emergency numbers with location details, or formally complain to the local Traffic SP or Deputy Commissioner’s office. Public complaints — especially when accompanied by photographic evidence — can compel police action and, over time, push local authorities to patrol known trouble spots more regularly.

Bhattacharjee stresses that his aim is not personal retribution but public safety. “I posted this to make people aware — this carelessness can easily lead to serious accidents,” he wrote. With that post now drawing local attention, the question he has placed before Digboi’s police and civic administration is simple and urgent: will they act to prevent the next avoidable injury, or wait until someone is seriously hurt?

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