MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Friday directed Navi Mumbai and Thane police to file affidavits in reply to a Public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Sunil Toke of Mumbai police demanding 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.
The PIL was heard by a bench of Justices Amjad Sayed and Abhay Ahuja. Toke’s counsel Pradeep Havnur said the PIL points to a “syndicate” collecting “protection fees” at Narpoli, Kalwa Kharegaon, Mumbra toll naka and Kalyan Phata, Kapurbawdi, Majiwada, Panvel, Mahape, Kalamboli and Taloja areas and termed it a serious issue requiring a probe.
Toke claimed almost 3,000 receipts are illegally issued by towing agencies at various places including Thane, Navi Mumbai, causing almost Rs 11 crore loss to the state exchequer.
He added that the truck and trailer drivers have to shell out money and are issued the “so-called protection receipt" of Rs 750 or 800 by “towing crane agencies".
"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,’’ said the PIL
The HC directed Toke to make the Navi Mumbai and Thane police commissionerates as parties to the PIL and asked the State represented by pleader Anand Patil to file the replies within 3 weeks and listed the matter after 4 weeks. Havnur said a reply would be filed by a senior level police officer.
Patil also said that the complaint is pending before the director general of police and will be assigned to responsible officers.
