In a bizarre incident that exposed a lapse in procedure, a habitual offender duped the DN Nagar Traffic Department by posing as a relative of a vehicle owner, paying the fine online, and driving away with a seized motorcycle.
The accused, identified as Mohammed Asif Shafi Mansuri, was arrested by DN Nagar Police after an investigation traced the online fine payment made through a QR code to his account. Police said Asif, a repeat offender, has several similar cases registered against him and is now in custody.
According to police officials, the case began on August 10, when traffic constable Santosh Kamble seized a two-wheeler for not having a rear number plate. The rider, Anas Khan, informed the officers that the bike was registered in his wife Shabina Khan’s name and that the documents and number plate were at home. The vehicle was impounded and kept at the DN Nagar Traffic Department until the documents were produced.
However, just four days later, on August 14, two men arrived at the traffic office claiming to be Shabina Khan’s relatives. They presented a number plate and paid a fine of ₹2,000 via QR code. Assuming their claim to be genuine, the traffic staff released the seized motorcycle along with a receipt.
The fraud came to light on August 18, when Anas Khan himself returned with the documents and was informed that his “relatives” had already collected the bike. Shocked, he denied knowing the men. The police then checked the CCTV footage, which confirmed that the individuals who had taken the bike were imposters.
Following a complaint by traffic constable Altab Karim Beldar, DN Nagar Police registered a case of cheating and fraud against the unknown accused and began tracing the digital transaction. The QR code payment details led investigators to Mohammed Asif Mansuri, who was soon tracked down and taken into custody.
During interrogation, Asif confessed that he had deliberately paid the fine online to make the transaction appear legitimate, and then fled with the impounded bike. He also admitted to scouting traffic department yards, forging fake ownership documents, and posing as relatives of genuine vehicle owners to retrieve seized vehicles.
Police said Asif has a criminal background and is wanted in a similar case registered at Versova Police Station. Investigators are now probing his involvement in other such incidents.
“His method was simple but smart — he would pay the fine to avoid suspicion and then escape with the vehicle,” a senior officer said, adding that Asif remains in police custody while further investigations continue.