Mumbai: A 20-year-old man, who tried to drive past a police barricade at Andheri (E) in a car bearing a state government sticker was held on Friday for attaching a fake sticker to his car's windshield so that he could move around scot-free during the lockdown. He has been identified as Mohammad Sabet Aslam Shah, a resident of Marol. He was arrested by Andheri Police and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Police said, on Friday, around 6pm, police deployed near the Western Express Highway noticed a car, MH-01-AC-5240, bearing a sticker that read 'Member of Legislative Assembly' (MLA). They asked the driver to pull over, step out and explain. Panicking, the man identified himself as Mohammad Sabet Aslam Shah and confessed that he had come up with the idea of a fake sticker to be able to cruise through checkpoints without getting caught.
Ankit Goyal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 10) said, "Shah, a Marol resident, had a fake 'MLA' sticker and the national emblem stuck on his car. He said he had done so to misguide police and be able to move around the city freely during the nationwide lockdown."
Shah has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for forgery (section 465), cheating (section 419), negligent and malignant act likely to spread infection of disease (section 269 and 270), disobedience of orders promulgated by public servant (section 188) and impersonating a public servant (section 170), along with other sections of Epidemic Disease Act, State Emblem of India Act. He was later granted bail.
