Mid Day

Mumbai, Apr 9: How many policemen are required to settle a parking problem? At Sion police station last night, a duty officer, a sub inspector, two assistant inspectors and two constables spent over four hours trying to resolve a parking issue between residents near Cinemax theatre in Sion and the staff of Peninsula restaurant and bar.

Eventually, cross complaints were registered by warring parties and both were fined Rs 1,200 for causing nuisance at a public place.

Ashok Durafe, a local resident and his friend Kapil Changani, had a heated argument with Jarad Shetty, manager of the Peninsula Hotel in Sion over parking in front of the hotel last night. Durafe claimed he was unable to bring out his car as the patrons of the hotel had blocked his exit.

Following this, there was a fight between Durafe, his friend and the hotel staff and both landed at the police station to lodge complaints against each other.

Both Durafe and Shetty called their influential connections to ensure a stricter offence registered against their opponents. Sub-inspector V Shelar, who was recording their statements, had a tough time as he was frequently ‘requested’ by a local Nationalist Congress Party leader Sanjay Dudhate and a senior police inspector of a neighbouring police station not to lodge complaints against Durafe and Shetty respectively.

The drama went on from 10.30 pm till 3.30 am and kept the staff at Sion police station on their toes.

While Shelar refused he was acting under pressure, he said both parties had decided not to file any FIR against each other, but he had slapped fine of Rs 1,200 on both of them for causing nuisance at a public place.
Durafe claimed that local residents had complained to the policemen at the local police chowkie on several occasions about the parking at the hotel, but no action was ever taken.

Shetty said Ram Singh, one of his staff beaten up by Durafe and his friend, had been admitted to Sion Hospital. Doctors at Sion Hospital said Singh had received a minor injury near his right ear and he was suffering from slight breathing problems, and was discharged after treatment.