Colaba Man Arrested for Illegally Charging Motorists at Free Fort BMC Parking Lot

The MRA Marg police have arrested a 25-year-old history-sheeter from Colaba for allegedly extorting money from motorists by charging them fees at a free Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) parking lot on Veer Nariman Road in Fort.

The accused, identified as Manoj Gowda, resides in Sundarnagari in Colaba. According to investigators, Gowda had been illegally demanding and collecting Rs 100 per hour from vehicle owners wishing to park in the free civic-run lot. Four motorists reported to the police that they had been made to pay the unauthorized parking fees.

The operation took place on August 13 at around 5 pm. An MRA Marg police team led by Assistant Police Inspector Sandhya Nikam was patrolling the vicinity when they observed Gowda actively stopping and parking cars near Flora Fountain.

Police officers kept watch on his activities for some time and observed him collecting cash from motorists who pulled up to park. When the patrolling team approached and questioned him, Gowda admitted that he did not possess any licence, permit, or official authorization from the BMC to manage the area or operate a parking facility.

Upon being confronted by the police team, the accused allegedly attempted to flee the scene on foot. The officers chased him down, detained him, and took him to the Hutama Chowk Beat No. 3 for questioning and further legal formalities.

During a subsequent search, police recovered four keys belonging to different parked cars along with Rs 400 in cash from Gowda's possession.

The MRA Marg police have registered a case against Gowda under Section 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. According to police records, Gowda is a history-sheeter who has previously been named in four separate theft cases registered over the course of 2023.