Cops ask BMC to measure crime scene with tape to determine jurisdiction

In a bizarre incident, two local police stations- Tilak Nagar and Pant Nagar- decided to measure a crime scene with the help of a tape to determine jurisdiction before registering an FIR.

A hawker, identified as Yogesh Goswami, was robbed by a gang of men on Vikhroli bridge spent around 27 hours doing the rounds of both the police stations to register an FIR.

The incident happened at around 4 pm on Wednesday, when Goswami was forced into an autorickshaw by a group of four men. They took him to Vikroli bridge where the men thrashed him and looted his gold chain and bracelet worth Rs 1.25 lakh.

Initially, Goswami approached the Pant Nagar police station to file an FIR. As per regulations, MG Road, where Goswami used to sell handbags, falls under the jurisdiction of Tilak Nagar police station. But the footpath falls under the jurisdiction of Pant Nagar police. The cops told him this and asked him to go to the Tilak Nagar police station.

From Tilak Nagar police station, he was sent back to Pant Nagar station. The argument was dragged till Thursday when finally the cops sought the help of a BMC official and asked him to measure the road to determine whether the crime spot was on a designated footpath area.

The incident took place on the road so, logically, the case belonged to the Tilak Nagar station. However, the Tilak Nagar cops argued that the exact crime spot was on the footpath area — therefore, under the Pant Nagar cops.

Finally, when the BMC official explained that there had never been any footpath there and the crime had taken place on the road, the Tilak Nagar police registered the FIR.

Yogesh Goswami, has been selling handbags at Ghatkopar East’s MG Road for six years now.