Mumbai: Habitual Offender Arrested for Stealing Seized Bike from Traffic Department

Mumbai: The D. N. Nagar police have arrested an individual for allegedly stealing a bike that had been seized during a traffic operation. The accused has been identified as Mohammad Asif Shafi Mansuri. He had deposited the fine amount through a QR code, which helped the police trace his involvement and eventually led to his arrest.

According to the police, Asif is a habitual offender, and several similar cases have been registered against him. He used to conduct reconnaissance of seized vehicles, approach the traffic police claiming to be a relative of the vehicle owner, submit forged documents, and then take possession of the vehicles. The police suspect that more offences of a similar nature may come to light during the investigation.

On August 10, Constable Santosh Kamble had taken action against a bike found without a rear number plate. When questioned, the rider, Anas Khan, said that the bike was registered in his wife Shabina Khan’s name and that the documents and number plate were at home. The bike was then deposited at the D. N. Nagar traffic department, and Khan was asked to produce the documents.

However, Anas Khan did not return with the required documents. On the evening of August 14, two individuals arrived at the regional transport office, claiming to be relatives of Shabina Khan. They presented the number plate and deposited a fine of Rs.2,000. Believing their claim, Constable Altab Beldar handed over the seized bike along with the fine receipt.

On August 18, Anas Khan visited the transport department with the documents and number plate. When informed that his “relatives” had already collected the bike, he was shown the CCTV footage. Upon viewing it, he confirmed that he did not know the two men seen in the footage.

Realising the theft, the constable reported the matter to his superiors. Following instructions, a complaint was filed against the two impersonators at the D. N. Nagar police station. After verifying the complaint, the police registered a case of cheating and began their investigation.

During the probe, investigators traced the QR code transaction used to pay the fine for the related stolen bike and obtained details from the concerned office, revealing that the payment had been made by Mohammad Asif Mansuri. Acting on this lead, the police detained Asif on Saturday. During interrogation, he confessed to stealing the seized bike after paying the fine.

The investigation revealed that Asif would first conduct a detailed recce of vehicles seized during operations at the transport department. After identifying the target vehicle, he would prepare fake documents and approach the authorities, pretending that the vehicle belonged to his relative. Once he deposited the fine amount, he would flee with the vehicle. He is currently in police custody, and officials believe that his arrest may help solve other pending cases of a similar kind.

Further investigation confirmed that Asif is a habitual offender with a similar case registered against him at the Versova police station.