B’lore: Sons of city top cop pay fine and set a good example

Bangalore Mirror

Bangalore, 18 December 2011:  Both sons of Jyothi Prakash Mirji, Chiranthan and Chinmay, have recently been caught violating traffic rules. But instead of flaunting their father’s name to escape penalty, they simply owned up mistakes and paid fines

 

People go to any length to avoid getting caught for traffic offence and paying penalty for it. For instance, a bus driver in China hid under his vehicle. An Arizona resident driving his car wore a monkey mask to avoid being identified on highway cameras.

 

However, most people in India utter just six words to put the fear of god in the mind of traffic cops — Do you know who I am? But not Chinmay and Chiranthan, sons of city police commissioner B Jyothi Prakash Mirji. Caught by traffic cops for violating road rules, they just paid up the fine.

 

Chiranthan, a businessman in the making, paid Rs 100 to Cubbon Park traffic police on November 25 as a penalty for talking on his mobile phone while driving. On another occasion a week ago,  he paid a fine of Rs 300 for over-speeding on the BIA Road. Chinmay, a lawyer, too paid a Rs 100 fine for jumping lanes and using his cellphone.

The two brothers are not proud of violating rules and paying the penalty. They have the humility of accepting their mistakes. “I hate to take my father’s name when I know I have committed a mistake. I pay the fine and get out of the situation. My New Year’s Resolution will be to not violate even a single rule,” Chiranthan told Bangalore Mirror.

 

“I know that if I take my father’s name, no cop will stop me for anything, anywhere in the city. But it is just not right. It would be a blot on my father if I go scot-free after breaking the rules. It would send out a wrong message.”

 

Chiranthan was caught recently for speeding in Hubli. When he came out of his car to pay the fine, the traffic police inspector asked him, “You are Mirji sir’s son, right?” When the young businessman said he indeed was the son of the top cop the inspector said he need not pay the fine. 

 

“But I insisted and paid the fine. He appreciated my attitude,” Chiranthan told BM.

Jyothi Prakash Mirji-Commissioner of Police, Bangalore 

He said that he and his brother have inherited this upright attitude from their father. He recalled a couple of childhood incidents which firmly drilled into them that one must own up his/her mistake.

 

“I was then around eight years old and was living in Belgaum where father was posted,” he said. “My teacher beat me for not doing my homework. I cried a lot and after returning home, I lied to dad, telling him that the teacher had punished me for no reason. He asked me a second time, and I lied again. He did not buy it, and fearing his wrath I told the truth. Next day, he took me to school and in front of all he told my teacher to beat me again as I had lied to him.”

 

The second incident revolved around every kid’s delight — ice-cream. Chiranthan had not been keeping well and Mirji had warned him not to eat ice-cream at school. “But I ate it, thinking I would not be caught. But he came to know about it and questioned me. I lied to him. He belted me and made me stand outside the house at night.

 

I started crying. After a few hours, he came out of the house and told me I should never lie.”

 

Mirji followed up the incident by taking Chiranthan to an ice-cream parlour. “I ate ice-creams worth Rs 300,” the youngster said.

 

He went on to add, “I am not a big man. Nor do I think I have done anything great by not flaunting my father’s name. I have just one thing to tell to the children of VIPs. Don’t ever think that your parents are there to pull you out of all sorts of problem. If you have made a mistake, admit it. Don’t malign your parents by hiding behind them.”

Proud father:

As for Mirji, he is proud of his sons. “I have clearly told the traffic police to fine people if they have broken rules, even if they come from high-profile families. I have also told the police to fine my family members if they break rules. I am happy that my sons are not taking my name to protect themselves and I appreciate our traffic police who have fined them,” Mirji said.