Rogue Mumbai cop has history of illegally parking wherever he wants to

API Satish Wayal (far left) alongside the private car with his police cap on the dashboard, on Gulmohar Road, Borivli West, on Saturday. Pic/Shirish Vaktania

The rogue cop, who assaulted mid-day reporter Shirish Vaktania on Saturday for taking pictures of a car he had wrongfully parked on a busy Borivli road, is a repeat violator. API Satish Wayal has been fined thrice for parking the private car, owned by a Jalna-based man, in "dangerous" violation of the traffic rules. Emboldened by the department's inaction, Wayal again threatened mid-day reporter Diwakar Sharma who was with Vaktania on Saturday.

Speaking with mid-day, Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) Vishwas Nangre Patil assured that an "inquiry will be conducted into the matter and action would be taken accordingly." The office of Minister of Home Affairs (MHA) Devendra Fadnavis has also taken cognisance of mid-day's report on manhandling of its reporter.

Assistant Police Inspector (API) Satish Wayal of Kurar police station parked a Hyundai on Gulmohar Road, Borivli West, obstructing a senior citizen's access out of parking. The senior citizen, who had parked his car in a pay-and-park facility, had to wait nearly an hour to move out.

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WhatsApp text between API Wayal and Diwakar Sharma on Tuesday

mid-day correspondent Vaktania, who was on the spot, enquired about the commotion and took photos of the Hyundai. Wayal, who claimed to have taken an accused to the court, returned and assaulted Vaktania and threatened to frame him in false cases. Another mid-day correspondent, Diwakar Sharma, who was with Vaktania, had to approach the senior cops to get him out of Wayal's clutches. Wayal had also threatened Sharma.

Two days later, the Borivli traffic police division issued an e-challan to the same Hyundai bearing registration number MH21BQ8294.

"Around 9 pm on Monday, vehicle number MH-21-BQ-8294 was parked in the Borivli railway station area. We issued a challan of R500 under Section 122/177 of the Motor Vehicles Act, for causing danger/obstructions or undue inconvenience to other users of public place or to the passengers by allowing vehicle to be abandoned or to remain at rest on any public place," Sachin Pardeshi, senior inspector, Borivli Traffic Division, told mid-day. The fine is yet to be paid.

The two other fines
The rest two e-challans were issued on August 18 (for having tinted window glasses) and also on June 5 (for causing danger/obstructions/undue inconvenience to other users of public place or to the passengers by allowing the vehicle to be abandoned or to remain at rest on any public place). These two e-challans have been paid. "We didn't get any order to take action against vehicle number MH-21-BQ-8294," Pardeshi said, responding to a query about Saturday's obstruction.

No action against Wayal
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 11) Vishal Thakur had promised the correspondents that he would apprise his counterpart of Wayal's behaviour, however. DCP (Zone 12-Kurar) Smita Patil said, "I have not received any message from Zone 11." "But I will initiate an enquiry," she told the mid-day correspondent when they met.

Emboldened by the inaction from the police department, Wayal on Tuesday sent a WhatsApp text to Sharma asking for his "full name and address". When Sharma asked for the reason, he said, "It's ok forgot… I will find out (sic)". Sharma has shared the screenshots of the WhatsApp messages with Additional Commissioner of Police (North) Virendra Mishra and Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) Vishwas Nangre Patil for necessary action.

‘None of your business'
When mid-day contacted the car owner, he confirmed the Hyundai is his. "I gave this car to someone," he said. After being informed of the Saturday's incident, he enquired whether the car was in any accident or if anyone was hurt. However, when asked why he gave his car to Wayal, the car owner said, "It's none of your business. I can give my car to anyone," and disconnected the call.