E-challan machine helps cops trace woman’s bag with gold and cash worth ₹5L

The officers approached the traffic police and asked them to check their e-challan machines to find the address of the rickshaw driver, who dropped Chowdhari

Mumbai: The city traffic police’s e-challan machine helped a 61-year-old woman find cash, and gold jewellery worth ₹5 lakh, which she forgot in an auto-rickshaw, after completing her ride on Monday.

E-challan machine helps cops trace woman’s bag with gold and cash worth ₹5L

The woman, identified as Lakshmi Chowdhari, a resident of Rahul Nagar in Chembur has a habit of carrying her life savings along. However, it was for the first time, she said, that she forgot her valuables.

According to senior police inspector Balasaheb Ghavte of RCF police station, Chowdhari, who runs a food stall, took a rickshaw from HP Nagar to go home. “I was in a hurry, as it was raining heavily and I needed to reach home to prepare food for the next day to sell at the stall,” said Chowdhari.

Due to torrential rain and not carrying an umbrella, she got off the rickshaw and rushed home, accidentally, leaving her bag behind the seat. “It was only when I reached home, I realised that I did not have the bag with my ornaments and cash,” said Chowdhari, who stays with her daughter and brother-in-law.

The officers then approached the traffic police and asked them to check their e-challan machines to find the address of the rickshaw driver, who dropped Chowdhari. “Through the e-challan machine data, we found eight autos with the number plates ending with 707. We noted the addresses and visited all the houses,” said Mandhare.

The police then landed at the address of Ram Singh, who was driving the auto with number plate MH 03 BA 9707.

“We contacted Singh on his mobile phone, and found that he was in Vishnu Nagar,” said Mandhare, who rushed there and searched the rickshaw.

“When we checked the space behind the passenger seat, we found the bag with the ornaments along with the cash, and ornaments. The driver was unaware that there was a bag,” said Mandhare, who then returned the bag to Chowdhari.