Two e-challans led driver to uncover a parking scam
After paying the fines and getting his vehicle back, when the driver enquired, he learnt that the pay-and-park was not authorised. He then approached the LT Marg police station where an FIR was registered against the parking lot operator, Prashant Shete aka Farukh
MUMBAI: Suspicious over receiving two e-challans amounting to ₹3,000 for parking in a ‘no-parking zone’- even after the car was parked in a paid parking lot at Dawa Bazar in Kalbadevi, a 37-year-old driver’s alertness led police to bust a fake parking racket ripping off several vehicle owners.

According to the LT Marg police officials, the driver, Sunil Sawant, paid ₹150 to park his employer’s car in a paid parking zone and despite this, his owner received two e-challans the same day for parking the vehicle in a ‘no-parking zone’.
When his employer, Deven Shah, alerted the driver about the e-challans, Sawant checked and found out that the four-wheeler was towed away by the Kalbadevi traffic division.
After paying the fines and getting his vehicle back, when the driver enquired, he learnt that the pay-and-park was not authorised. He then approached the LT Marg police station where an FIR was registered against the parking lot operator, Prashant Shete aka Farukh.
According to the police, Sawant, a resident of Airoli, who works as a driver for Shah, a trader, had parked his employer’s car on Wednesday at Dawa Bazar in Kalbadevi when Shah had visited the market.
“I parked the car and paid ₹150 towards parking charges. The parking lot operator, however, refused to give me a receipt. I found the operator’s refusal to issue a receipt quite suspicious. The person, identified as Prashant Shete alias Farukh, told me that I need not worry, and the car will be safe there,” said Sawant.
However, around 12.30pm, Shah got the first message that there was an e-challan of ₹1,500 issued for parking his car in a no-parking zone. “Around 2.45pm, my employer received a second message of e-challan for the same amount for parking in no parking area. I rushed to the spot after my employer called and informed me about the e-challans only to find out that neither the vehicle nor the parking attendant was at the spot,” said Sawant.
He then waited and later decided to visit the nearest traffic chowky to see if his car was towed away by the traffic police. “I went to the Kalbadevi traffic division and found my car there. Later I learnt that the pay-and-park lot, where I had parked my car was illegal and several other vehicle owners had similarly got e-challans for parking in the no-parking area,” said Sawant.
“I then gathered some information about the illegal parking menace there and caught Farukh, who confessed to me that he was operating an illegal parking zone,” said Sawant who then approached the police and narrated the incident. Based on his complaint, the police registered a case against Farukh. “We have booked him for cheating, furnishing false information, causing any obstruction in a street,” said a police officer.

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