UDUPI: Udupi Superintendent of Police (SP) Laxman Nimbargi has written to NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) on installing signal lights at three ‘critical junctions’ along the national highway. 

“The department has recommended signal lights at Katpadi, Santhekatte and Ambalpadi. Even after deploying four additional policemen, it has become virtually impossible to manage the traffic in the area,” he said on the sidelines of the phone-in programme, held at his office recently.

The SP attributed the chaos at these junctions to unscientific planning.

He said there is another traffic issue at Santhekatte. The service road extending from Udupi to Kundapur is used by vehicles that take a turn towards Malpe. The design of the stretch is unscientific, Nimbargi added.

On dilly-dallying sand mining in the district, Nimbargi said that the licence holders, who face threats, would be given police security. He added that December 17 was the deadline for all licence holders to begin sand extraction.

Nimbargi said the seer, who runs the English medium school in Karkala, had given a complaint against a teacher who is accused of sexually assaulting the minors and videographing the act. The teacher has been arrested under section 376 of POCSO Act.

While responding to  a  complaint on illegal sand mining at Kedur, he promised to take appropriate action.

The SP directed the Kundapur DySP to conduct  a  joint inspection of a public crematorium in Gangolli, after residents alleged that only members of a particular community were allowed to conduct the funerals.

After the previous phone in-programme on November 23, seven Matka cases were registered and eight persons were arrested. That apart, four gambling cases were registered and 25 were arrested.

One NDPS case was registered and two are arrested.

About 38 cases are registered under COTPA, 79 cases are registered under drunken driving, 174 for shrill horns, 27 cases for using mobile while riding/driving, 1,571 for riding without a helmet, 52 cases for overspeeding and 2,601 cases for other crimes under the Motor Vehicle Act, he added.