Mumbai: Andheri police registered a case against a 17-year-old college student for riding a motorcycle while hiding its real identity through a bogus number plate and registration number, preparing a counterfeit plate, using it as though it were an official plate, and driving the vehicle without proper registration and without a valid driving licence. The FIR was filed on Tuesday after the student, who lives in Sakinaka, came to the police station to claim his vehicle that was towed by traffic police for a traffic offence. Police also learnt that the minor was riding a stolen vehicle owned by a Mumbra resident who lodged a theft complaint there in April.The matter surfaced after Sahar traffic police towed a two-wheeler carrying the same number plate in a traffic violation case, located pending fines on it, and contacted the registered owner. The owner told police that someone was using his vehicle number and that he had received two e-challans for violations he did not commit. “On his request, the police began a probe when the minor approached the police, informing them that the bike that was towed away belonged to him and used the number plate of another vehicle to avoid a traffic fine as he was a minor,” said a police officer of the Andheri police station.In the complaint, police constable Avinash Aazomekar, 35, attached to Sahar Traffic Department, said: “A police constable, Naik, informed that on June 15, for smooth traffic flow, along with police constable Sangram Kamble, they were on duty, towed the motorcycle and brought it to the Sahar Traffic Department. When police constable Chaughule checked the number of the said motorcycle in the traffic device’s e-challan machine, the said vehicle was found to be in alert mode. Therefore, he contacted the original owner of the vehicle, Kishor Makhija, whose vehicle number was used by the minor on his two-wheeler. Makhija said that some unknown person was using another vehicle with his motorcycle’s number. He informed that two incorrect e-challans were issued against his vehicle number and submitted a request for action against that vehicle.”On Monday at 6 pm, the minor arrived at the Sahar Traffic Department and claimed the motorcycle was his. “When constable Chaughule enquired about the said motorcycle, he did not give any satisfactory answer. Also, when asked about his driving licence, he stated that he did not have any driving licence.After this, police traced the motorcycle’s original registration by checking the engine number and identified the actual owner. Dilip Rajankar was contacted and he said his motorcycle was stolen from the parking area of his residential building on April 27 and a theft case was filed on April 28 in Mumbra. “The team is finding out how the minor got hold of the stolen two-wheeler and who provided him with the number plate that belongs to some other person,” said a police officer.
