Mumbai:
A Mumbai cab driver’s desperate attempt to escape the car loan cycle by forging his number plate set off a chain of events that led to a big security scare at the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Colaba today.
Around noon today, two Maruti Suzuki Ertiga cars reached the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Both MUVs had yellow registration plates — this means they were registered for commercial use. One of the vehicle owners spotted an identical car with the same number plate and alerted the cops.
The iconic Taj Mahal hotel, which was one of the targets in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, is a sensitive area and multiple security agencies keep a close watch here. So, as soon as police were alerted about two identical vehicles with the same number, they moved swiftly and tracked down the MUVs. The two vehicles were brought to the Colaba police station and drivers questioned. What emerged was a bizarre tale.
A String Of Challans
Sakir Ali owns an Ertiga SUV that plies commercially. For over six months, he had been receiving frequent intimations about challans and fines against the car’s registration number. Sometimes, these challans were as frequent as twice a week. What surprised Ali was the fact that the car never visited the areas where the challans were issued. He also received intimations about the evasion of toll charges. Ali approached traffic police with a complaint, but no solution could be found. “I would keep receiving intimations about fines. We registered a complaint too. He has finally been caught.” Earlier, a driver working for Ali had spotted the doppelganger car in Bandra and clicked a photograph. But the car could not be tracked down then.
When 2 Ertiga Cars Crossed Path
Around 11.30 am today, Ali was dropping a passenger at Taj when he spotted the other Ertiga with the same number plate. He stepped out and tried to stop it, but the driver sped away. When Ali alerted the cops, they stopped the car and brought it to the Colaba police station. “I tried to stop him, I also took the key, but the driver snatched it back and sped away. He stopped only when cops blocked the way,” said Ali, who reached the police station with his car too. Asked if he knew the driver, Ali said he did not.
A Shocking Confession
The registration number of Ali’s car is MH01EE2388 and that of the other car is MH01EE2383. The driver of the other car told police that he changed the last digit of his number to ‘8’ to escape loan recovery agents. He said he was struggling to pay EMIs to settle the loan he had taken for the car. So he thought of a way out, he changed the number. Police have said in a statement that a preliminary probe had revealed no security breach motive. “Accused has primarily done it to save car being seized by a financial establishment,” a police statement said, adding that a case was being registered against the owner.
