Bengaluru (PTI): The Bengaluru Traffic Police have issued an advisory to ensure the smooth flow of traffic during the Republic Day Flower Show, organised by the Department of Horticulture. The show begins on Thursday and will run for 11 days.
The flower show is being held at Lalbagh Botanical Garden, and around 8 to 10 lakh visitors are expected to attend, according to the police.
This 217th edition of the flower show is themed around Maharshi Valmiki.
As per the advisory, vehicle parking will be prohibited within the limits of Wilson Garden traffic police station and the surrounding roads.
Additionally, parking will not be allowed from Lalbagh main gate to NIMHANS on both sides of Dr Marigowda Road, from KH Circle to Shanthinagar Junction on both sides of Double Road, and from Subbaiah Circle to Lalbagh main gate on both sides of Lalbagh Road.
Restrictions also extend from Urvashi Theater Junction to Wilson Garden 12th Cross on both sides of Siddaiah Road, from BMTC Junction towards the post office on BTS Road, on both sides of Krumbigal Road, and from Lalbagh West Gate to RV Teachers College, Ashoka Pillar, and Siddapura Junction.
However, parking will be allowed at specific locations, including Al-Ameen College premises (for two-wheelers) on Dr Marigowda Road, the Shantinagar BMTC multi-storey parking lot, the Hopcoms parking lot, and the Corporation parking lot.
The police have also indicated that traffic may be restricted on 10th Cross, Dr Marigowda Road, and Lalbagh Road-Urvashi Junction if the area becomes too crowded.
Alternatives have been suggested to manage the flow of vehicles.
Vehicles coming from Dairy Circle towards Lalbagh can take a right turn at the 10th Cross Junction and proceed towards City Market, Majestic, Wilson Garden Main Road, and BMTC (KH) Road via BTS Road.
Similarly, vehicles coming from Subbaiah Circle, City Market, Lalbagh, Jayanagar, Electronic City, and Hosur can proceed straight and turn left at Urvashi Junction, then connect to Siddaiah Road to reach Dr Marigowda Road, stated the advisory.
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New Delhi (PTI): Police here have busted a crime syndicate involved in traffic fraud and extortion, arresting three people including the alleged mastermind who sold fake stickers to help commercial vehicles bypass no-entry restrictions, an official said on Saturday.
The police said they dismantled a third organised syndicate linked to traffic-related frauds, with the arrest of Rinku Rana alias Bhushan, his associate Sonu Sharma and Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, who was also connected to another extortion syndicate.
According to the police, Rinku Rana was running a well-organised network that facilitated the movement of commercial goods vehicles during restricted hours by selling fake 'marka' or stickers for Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per vehicle every month. The stickers were falsely projected as authorisation to evade traffic challans.
During raids, the police recovered Rs 31 lakh in cash, property documents worth several crores of rupees, over 500 fake stickers and six mobile phones allegedly used to operate the syndicate.
The crackdown followed a complaint filed by a traffic police officer in April this year after a commercial vehicle tried to evade checking by producing a fake sticker claiming exemption from enforcement action.
Investigation revealed that social media groups were being used to coordinate the illegal movement of vehicles and alert drivers about traffic police checkpoints, police said.
"A parallel system was being run to cheat drivers and vehicle owners while undermining traffic enforcement. On the basis of evidence, provisions related to organised crime under the BNS were invoked," a senior police officer said.
Sonu Sharma, the police said, managed social media groups through which stickers were sold and real-time alerts were circulated regarding traffic police movement. He also acted as a link between Rana and drivers operating in the field.
In a related development, Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, an associate of Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, who was earlier arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), was also apprehended.
Mukesh allegedly helped extort money from transporters and was involved in blackmailing traffic police personnel by recording enforcement actions, the police said.
Investigators alleged the syndicate led by Rajkumar deployed drivers to deliberately violate traffic rules and secretly record police officials during challans, later using manipulated videos to extort money under threat of false allegations.
The police said that in total, eight accused belonging to three different organised crime syndicates linked to traffic frauds and extortion have been arrested so far.
Further investigation is underway to trace the remaining members, conduct financial probes, and analyse digital evidence recovered during the raids, officials added.
