By Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan

New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS): Delhi Traffic Police have decided to withdraw about one and a half lakh challans issued mostly to those who were found overspeeding on National Highway 24 between August and October 10.

However, there is no clarity on what will happen to the amount taken as fines.

A Joint Commissioner-level traffic police officer, on condition of anonymity, said: "Delhi Traffic Police is withdrawing about 1.5 lakh challans issued in two and a half months between August and October 10. Most of these were related to overspeeding on National Highway 24."

Another Delhi Traffic Police officer said: "In fact, these challans were issued on National Highway 24 between Nizamuddin bridge and Ghazipur, which is close to Delhi-UP border."

What forced Delhi Traffic Police to withdraw these challans? To this, an officer said: "The reason behind the withdrawal of these challans was that the PWD had put up a signboard of speed limit of 70 km/hr while the challans were issued for speeding over 60 km/hr on national highway. We decided to take back the challans after receiving a lot of complaints."

According to a police officer, the Traffic Police had asked the PWD to change the signboard showing 60 km/hr as the speed limit, but they did not do it. Now the cameras along the Highway has been set with 70 km/hr as the maximum speed, the police said.

Now the question is - what of the crores of rupees paid as fines by the public for alleged violations of traffic rules? Delhi police has no answer to it.

Another reason for withdrawing the challans could be, according to a senior police officer, that some drivers had decided to approach the the court with a public interest litigation as they felt they did not do anything wrong and they are innocent. It would have been an awkward situation for the Traffic Police to defend the indefensible in the court, the officer said.