TAXILA: As Eidul Fitr draws near, the complaints regarding unnecessary checking of citizens by the police have also risen in number. Locals says that the policemen have established check points at every nook and corner of the twin cities of Taxila and Wah Cantonment, who then extort bribe after checking the documents of the vehicles.

It has been observed that young motorcyclists are the main targets at these check posts, where the police have been seen openly extorting the money from the commuters.

Within Taxila, Margalla check post on the GT road, Jandial check post on Museum road, Bhallar check post on Hattar road, the entry and exit points of Lalarukh and Lalazar are the main operational points of the police, where they have been seen fleecing the motorists. Ugly scenes of motorcyclists exchanging hot words with the policemen, can be seen from dawn to dusk.

People from different walks of life, especially college and university students, have complained that the local police has launched a money-making spree to collect illegal gratifications on the pretext of `Eidi`. They complained that the policemen have established check points at different spots and are fleecing the commuters on pretext of checking their documents.

According to reports, the cops have abused and manhandled a number of people in order to pressurise them into giving the extortion money.

Kashif Khan, a motorcyclist, told Dawn that two cops posted at Jandial check post took over as traffic cops, and are taking money from every motorcyclist who heads towards Khanpur Dam.

`Even if you have all the documents, you have to pay Rs100 to Rs200 as Eidi, otherwise you will be publically humiliated,` said Khan.

Another youth, Imran Rasheed, said that hundreds of youth come to Khanpur Dam on the weekend and they have to pay money at two points, once at Margalla check post and then at Jandial, where the police have launched their `Eidi drive` Taxila Sub Divisional Police Officer Malik Mohammad Irshad said that the checking of motorcyclists has intensified as most of the street crimes have reportedly been conducted by unknown persons on motorbikes.

`We have asked the people, several times, to come forward and bring such incidents into our notice,` he said.