Mumbai: The Andheri police have registered a case against a 17-year-old college student for riding a motorcycle while concealing its real identity with a bogus number plate and registration number. The minor prepared a counterfeit plate, used it as an official plate, and drove the vehicle without proper registration and a valid driving licence. The FIR was filed on Tuesday after the student, a resident of Sakinaka, approached the police station to claim his vehicle, which had been towed by traffic police for a traffic violation.
Discovery of the Stolen Vehicle
During the investigation, police learned that the minor was riding a stolen vehicle owned by a Mumbra resident, who had lodged a theft complaint in April. The matter came to light after the Sahar traffic police towed a two-wheeler bearing the same number plate for a traffic violation. Upon checking pending fines, they contacted the registered owner, who informed them that someone was using his vehicle number and that he had received two e-challans for violations he did not commit.
“On his request, the police began a probe when the minor approached the police, informing them that the bike that was towed away belonged to him and that he used the number plate of another vehicle to avoid traffic fines as he was a minor,” said a police officer from the Andheri police station.
Police Complaint Details
In the complaint, police constable Avinash Aazomekar, 35, attached to the Sahar Traffic Department, stated: “A police constable, Naik, informed that on June 15, for smooth traffic flow, along with police constable Sangram Kamble, they were on duty and towed the motorcycle to the Sahar Traffic Department. When police constable Chaughule checked the number of the said motorcycle using the traffic device’s e-challan machine, the vehicle was found to be in alert mode. Therefore, he contacted the original owner, Kishor Makhija, whose vehicle number was used by the minor on his two-wheeler. Makhija said that some unknown person was using another vehicle with his motorcycle’s number. He informed that two incorrect e-challans were issued against his vehicle number and submitted a request for action against that vehicle.”
On Monday at 6 pm, the minor arrived at the Sahar Traffic Department and claimed the motorcycle was his. “When constable Chaughule enquired about the said motorcycle, he did not give any satisfactory answer. Also, when asked about his driving licence, he stated that he did not have any driving licence.”
Tracing the Original Owner
After this, police traced the motorcycle’s original registration by checking the engine number and identified the actual owner. Dilip Rajankar was contacted, and he said his motorcycle was stolen from the parking area of his residential building on April 27, with a theft case filed on April 28 in Mumbra. “The team is finding out how the minor got hold of the stolen two-wheeler and who provided him with the number plate that belongs to some other person,” said a police officer.
