A Mumbai resident faced a penalty of Rs 40,000 for spitting in public, Which Actually Was A Scam
A Mumbai resident faced a penalty of Rs 40,000 for spitting in public, Which Actually Was A Scam
An individual impersonating a narcotics officer approached him, demanding a “fine” of Rs 40,000 for allegedly spitting the tobacco juice in public.
A 58-year-old man, while taking a brief pause on his journey back home from South Mumbai to chew tobacco, reportedly fell victim to a scam on 25th February, Tuesday.
An individual impersonating a narcotics officer approached him, demanding a “fine” of Rs 40,000 for allegedly spitting the tobacco juice in public.
The First Information Report indicates that this incident occurred around 7 pm near Airoli while Vasant M was engaged in chewing tobacco.
As per police reports, the accused, dressed in khaki trousers and black boots and arriving on a motorcycle, instructed the man, identified as Vasant M, to get onto his Bullet motorcycle. Subsequently, he coerced Vasant into paying the “fine” before making his escape.
The individual in question halted his motorcycle beside him and requested that he board the vehicle to head to the local police station, where he would face the repercussions for spitting on a public road, as stated by the complainant.
“Vasant, who mistook him for a narcotics officer, immediately got onto the Bullet, and midway through the ride the accused told him he would have to pay a fine of Rs 68,000 fine. Eventually, they stopped at two ATMs from where the complainant withdrew Rs 40,000 and handed it over to him,” says a police officer.
Upon nearing the Navghar police station, the suspect indicated that they intended to visit a different police station. However, they ultimately returned to the location where Vasant had initially parked his motorcycle, according to police reports. The perpetrator instructed him to wait before quickly departing on his Bullet motorcycle.
Vasant realized that he had been deceived after discussing the incident with his friends the following day. Subsequently, he filed a complaint at the Navghar police station.
The issue of public spitting continues to be a significant concern in Mumbai. Recent data indicates that 44% of the fines issued by Clean-Up Marshals over the last 11 months were related to this behavior. A total of 62,892 individuals were penalized for spitting, leading to a total fine revenue of Rs 1.25 crore.
