Man cries harassment after cops tow away vehicle

Last Sunday, Dongri resident Mohammad Asif Shaikh was at his wit's end when he found his parked scooter missing from Marine Drive. The 26-year-old's vehicle (MH01-BV-6972) was parked near Oberoi hotel but it was towed away by police during an anti-sabotage check. Shaikh alleges that the police would not release his vehicle even after they were shown all the necessary documents.

Initially, Shaikh, who runs a toy shop in south Mumbai, made several inquiries with policemen posted nearby the hotel but nobody could tell him about the scooter. "A man present at the spot told me that my scooter had been towed away by the police. I made inquiries with the traffic police at Fashion Street, but could not spot my scooter even there. I visited the Marine Drive police station on Monday, but the cops there told me they did not know anything about it," said Shaikh.

He then approached Colaba police, who told him that if his vehicle was not with the police then it must have been stolen and in this case he ought to report the matter to Marine Drive police.

"When I visited the Marine Drive police station again at night, a constable told me that the scooter was there. When I questioned as to why my vehicle was towed, a female officer said it was done during an anti-sabotage check before the IPL match. She then asked me for the vehicle's documents," Shaikh said.

"Since the past few days I have been making regular rounds of the police station but policemen tell me that the vehicle will not be released until I give a written application to the higher officers. The police is harassing me," Shaikh alleged.

"A call was received on Sunday regarding an unclaimed vehicle. If the owner has all the necessary documents pertaining to his vehicle, it will be released," said Rajendra Chavan, ACP, Colaba division.