‘Dispose of 3-yr-old illegal parking case in 3 months’

A case of illegal parking has been dragging on for three years. Angry with the delay in disposing of the case, the Bombay High Court on Thursday sought a report from court’s registrar general about functioning of the traffic courts in city.

A case of illegal parking has been dragging on for three years. Angry with the delay in disposing of the case, the Bombay High Court on Thursday sought a report from court’s registrar general about functioning of the traffic courts in city.

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A division bench of Justice F.I. Rebello and Justice J.H. Bhatia was hearing a a public interest litigation filed by Anil Gidwani, a Bandra resident.

The high court directed the special metropolitan magistrate to dispose of the petitioner’s case within three months.

“A simple case involving parking violation is lingering for nearly three years,” Gidwani told the court.

In March 2007, Gidwani was asked to pay for parking his car in a no-parking zone opposite Cooperage Ground in south Mumbai.

He refused to pay and a charge sheet was filed against him a fortnight later. In August 2007, traffic constable Bajrang Kondiba Jankar deposed in court.

Gidwani told the high court that in September 2007 the special magistrate adjourned his cross-examination halfway for no apparent reason. “I requested the court to grant a few more minutes to conclude the cross-examination,” he said.

The petitioner claimed that he lost an income of at least at least Rs 1.2 lakh in attending court hearings.