Mumbai Crime: Shop owner assaults traffic cop for issuing e-challan

(Left) On-duty officers from the local police station arrived at the spot and arrested (centre) Jatin Satra; (right) Satra pictured arguing with the cops. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

A shop owner from Mulund was arrested on Thursday for allegedly abusing and assaulting a traffic cop in the suburb. Jatin Satra, 35, owner of a readymade clothes shop abused the policeman after seeing him issue an e-challan for his scooty.

On Thursday morning, traffic cops were unblocking RRT Road in Mulund West when Constable Dnyaneshwar Wagh noticed a scooty MH-03-DH-3970 blocking the road. Wagh got his divide to issue an e-challan when Satra came and questioned him, saying that many other bikes are parked on the road too.

"I told Satra not to argue and rather than pointing a finger at others he must see his fault, but he started abusing me, pushed me and tried to attach me when people intervened," Wagh said. "When I told him to wear a mask, he got furious and said police don't have the authority to tell him about masks and that he wouldn't wear one," Wagh said.

The incident was shot on a phone and Satra is seen abusing Wagh and Mumbai police constantly. Some people tried to calm him down but he did not pay attention.
According to Wagh's statement, when his subordinate, Constable Sanap called the police's main control room, Satra tried to flee. Sanap tried to stop him but Satra got on his scooty and tried to run him over.

Just then, on-duty cops from the local police station reached the spot and nabbed Satra. FIR was registered at Mulund police station. Satra is the owner of the shop named, ‘Hastakala', in front of which the incident took place. He has been booked under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) 504 (intentional provoking for breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), among others of the Indian Penal Code.

"The accused will be produced in court on Friday. Police have been working amid COVID-19 in an extremely difficult situation. People should cooperate with them as well. If they are not happy with some action, they can reach out to senior officers, but abusing or assaulting police is not right," said Vijayalaxmi Hiremath, senior inspector (SI) of Mulund police station.

After his arrest, a video was released where Satra apologised for his actions.