Mumbai Traffic police at work in front of a flyover pillar at Jogeshwari signal in Mumbai. (Express File Photo by Amit Chakravarty/ Representational image) The Bombay High Court on Friday asked the Navi Mumbai and Thane police to file affidavits in reply to a PIL by an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of Mumbai police seeking a probe into a “rampant corruption and extortion syndicate” allegedly carried out under the guise of towing charges at various entry points and toll nakas in Greater Mumbai region.
A division bench of Justices A A Sayed and Abhay Ahuja was hearing a PIL by ASI Sunil Toke who alleged the prevalence of a “syndicate” collecting “protection fees” at Narpoli/Mankoli, Kalwa Kharegaon, Mumbra toll naka and Kalyan Phata, Kapurbawdi/Majiwada, Panvel, Mahape, Kalamboli and Taloja.
The plea, filed through advocate Pradeep Havnur claimed, “Freight vehicles from outside of Maharashtra like trucks, tankers, trailers, containers (only huge vehicles often 12 to 30-wheel ones with RJ, GJ, GN, TN, KN, KA number plates, etc) are physically intercepted by traffic wardens and local hooligan boys and towing agencies (crane operators), at the instructions of traffic police officials.”
The ASI claimed that around 2,700 to 3,000 receipts (protection receipts) are illegally issued by towing/crane agencies at various places including Thane, Navi Mumbai, etc, resulting in a loss of Rs 7 to 11 crore to the government exchequer.
He added that that the drivers of these trucks/trailers have to forcibly give the amount and are issued “so-called protection receipt” of Rs 750 or 800 by “towing crane agencies” in the name of “obstruction of road” or “road parking” or such fines or sometimes just as “towing charges”, mentioning the truck number, date and carries some signature with phrases like “on behalf of Traffic Division” or “at the behest of Traffic control branch.
“Once these receipts (protection receipts) are issued, they are checked and confirmed at Thane/Navi Mumbai Traffic Police Department and the freight vehicles are allowed to go. When stopped, these receipts are displayed indicating that the “protection fee” has been paid and the freight vehicle is allowed to pass through,” the PIL claims.
It adds, “Armed with such a protection receipt… the heavy freight vehicle is allowed to pass through the Navi Mumbai corridor, without any further harassment… by any traffic police in the Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate. This protection pass is valid till the vehicle reaches the jurisdiction of Thane Police Commissionerate. Once the Thane Police Commissionerate limits start, this protection receipt may be repeated in a similar way.”
Toke submitted that he made a detailed complaint to the state DGP and the Director General of the Anti Corruption Bureau on July 31, 2021 seeking a probe into the matter, but it failed to elicit a response, prompting him to approach the high court.
Attaching videos and receipts allegedly of such incidents, he sought registration of an FIR against the perpetrators.
For the state government, advocate A R Patil said that since the concerned areas fall within the limits of Navi Mumbai and Thane CPs, they will be made parties to the plea. Patil added that the complaint is pending before the DGP and concerned commissioners will assign it to the officers responsible.
The court granted three weeks for the affidavits to be filed in reply by officers not below the rank of Additional or Deputy Commissioner of Police and posted further hearing after four weeks.
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