Mumbai: Man Arrested Near Taj Hotel for Changing Car Number to Evade Loan Recovery

Chaos erupted in the upscale area near the Taj Mahal Hotel in Colaba when two cars bearing the same registration number came face to face. Upon investigation, it was revealed that one of the car owners had deliberately changed his vehicle's number to evade a loan recovery agency. The Colaba police have arrested the accused, and further investigations are underway.

According to the Colaba police, the incident occurred around 1 PM near the Taj Mahal Hotel. Sakir Ali, the owner of car number MH01EE 2388, spotted another car with the same registration number. Seeking clarity, he enlisted the help of traffic police to stop the vehicle. Upon inquiry, the driver identified himself as Prasad Kadam (40), a resident of Navi Mumbai. Kadam claimed that the vehicle and the number belonged to him.

Both cars and their owners were taken to the Colaba police station for further investigation. Preliminary checks revealed that Kadam’s car was using a fake registration number. The police then initiated a deeper probe into the matter.

Background of the Incident

Sakir Ali, a resident of South Mumbai, had been troubled by repeated traffic challans issued to his car in locations he had never visited. While dealing with this confusion, he noticed a car identical to his with the same number plate on a previous occasion but couldn't stop it. On Monday, he spotted the car again near the Taj Mahal Hotel and sought the assistance of traffic police, which eventually led to Kadam’s arrest and the discovery of the scam.

Investigation Findings

The police registered an FIR against Prasad Kadam under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Kadam confessed to changing his car’s registration number to avoid loan recovery agents. It was revealed that Kadam's car was under a loan, and he had defaulted on payments for over three weeks. To evade recovery agents, Kadam approached a shop to procure a fake number plate, which was subsequently installed on his car.

The Colaba police are conducting further investigations into the matter to uncover other potential fraudulent activities.