Police bust parking racket outside CP office, JJ School
MUMBAI: The Azad Maidan police on Sunday arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly running a parking racket outside the office of the Commissioner of Police and opposite Sir JJ School of Arts near Crawford Market in south Mumbai.
According to the police, the accused, identified as Rizwan Ali alias Alam Safiulla Ansari, 29, was a former employee of a parking contractor whose contract was not renewed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Ali used to charge motorists for parking their vehicles in free parking slots made available by the civic body.
On Sunday, the police received a tip-off about some persons collecting money from motorists who parked their vehicles at the two spots.
“Based on the tip-off, our team, headed by i nspector Abdul Javed Shah, visited the area. When they saw a parking attendant signalling a vehicle owner to stop his car near the parking lot, hand out a receipt and accept ₹100 from him, the team immediately detained the attendant,” said a police officer from Azad Maidan Police station.
When the police asked Ali for documents showing they were authorised to collect charges for the parking lot, he could not show anything, following which he was arrested.
“We have also written to the assistant commissioner, A ward, urging him to put banners and boards in the area prominently, telling people that the parking was free. There is one board which says so, but it is located at the back and no one can see it, so people end up paying up such thugs,” said the police officer.
The accused, a resident of Mahul in the eastern suburbs, told the police he was not educated and did not have any job, so he continued what he used to earlier.
“We have booked him under section 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code,” said the police officer.