Mumbai Teen's Scooter Joyride Sparks Legal Battle and Police Scrutiny
A 16-year-old boy was apprehended on Monday in Andheri after allegedly speeding on a borrowed scooter and nearly colliding with a lawyer's motorcycle on SV Road. The incident has escalated into a legal dispute, with the DN Nagar police lodging an FIR against the teen's father, Wasim Shaikh, an Andheri resident, based on the boy's claim that his father provided him the scooter.
Lawyer Alleges Police Delays and Attempted Cross-FIR
The lawyer involved, Hasan Mirchandani, who practices in the Bombay High Court, reported that the FIR was filed only six hours after the incident, following multiple interventions. He alleged that police attempted to file a cross-FIR against him on false charges of slapping the boy, despite Mirchandani stating he never laid a hand on the minor. He emphasized that even if such an allegation were true, it should only warrant a non-cognisable offence, not an FIR.
Mirchandani described the ordeal, noting that around 7:30 PM on Monday, he and his wife were returning home on their bike when the speeding teen nearly hit them. "I asked him to stop, but he zipped away. A little ahead, I saw him standing by the road and went to question him," he said. A police constable arrived simultaneously, and the boy admitted the scooter belonged to his father's friend, Sahil Shaikh, and that his father had allowed him to ride it.
With the constable's assistance, Mirchandani took the boy to the police station to file a complaint against the parents for permitting underage driving. "My intention was not to harass the minor; I wanted his parents to learn a lesson. But I faced a tough time at the police station," he added, stating he waited until 2 AM for the FIR to be lodged. This action came only after interventions from bar association presidents Ravi Jadhav and Pradeep Shetty.
Legal Charges and Police Response
Charges against the father include rash driving under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), allowing an unauthorised person to drive a vehicle, and offences by a juvenile under the Motor Vehicles Act. It remains unclear if action has been initiated against the scooter owner, Sahil Shaikh. The teen was released after the FIR was filed.
Senior Inspector Rajendra Machinder of DN Nagar police did not respond to calls for comment. DCP (zone 9) Dikshit Gedam stated he was unaware of the lawyer's allegations and would need to check case details. Mirchandani also posted on X about his experience, highlighting concerns over police handling. "Had I not been a lawyer and able to question police on the attempt to file a cross-FIR, things could have gone very differently," he remarked.
Rising Trend of Underage Driving Incidents in Mumbai
This incident marks the second case of underage driving in Andheri in less than a month. On March 15, a 17-year-old Dubai resident, visiting Mumbai, allegedly hit a scooter with a rental SUV in Chandivli, killing a 15-year-old pillion rider. In 2023, Chandivli saw a similar case where a 14-year-old boy knocked down a senior citizen with a car, causing severe spinal fractures.
Additionally, on March 24 this year, a 42-year-old businessman cycling on an incomplete stretch of Kalyan's Ring Road was killed after a speeding car, allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy, hit him. These incidents underscore a growing concern about underage driving and road safety in the Mumbai region, prompting calls for stricter enforcement and parental accountability.
