Ignorance or memory lapse?

Senior Police Inspector who spoke to MiD DAY about the petrol racket at Ballard Pier on Wednesday couldn't identify an important street in his jurisdiction despite being told about landmarks in the area

Knowing the area one is responsible for doesn't seem to be a requirement for a senior police inspector anymore. This reporter discovered this startling fact in the course of following up on yesterday's expose ('Rising prices fuel petrol, diesel theft') on chauffeurs being involved in a fuel racket thriving in Ballard Pier. When MiD DAY called up MRA Marg police's Senior Police Inspector Padmakar Juikar, who had commented on the original story, for an update yesterday, he claimed he could not identify the location where the racket was flourishing and asked for the exact address.

On being provided the street nameu00a0-- Kumta Street in Ballard Pier, a popular business hubu00a0-- he said he did not know the street. Even after being provided a couple of landmarks in the vicinityu00a0-- like Maharaja Hotel -- he could not identify the spot. Kumta Street is under the MRA Marg police's jurisdiction. "I will have the matter looked into and send a team to identify the spot and take action," said Juikar.

This led us to infer that no action had been taken against the racket despite MiD DAY bringing it to the MRA Marg police's notice on Wednesday and that the police station's mobile patrolling vans, whose duty is to keep a tab on every street corner in their jurisdiction, are not doing their job. Juikar has promised action within two days.

The racket
Drivers of scores of executives and businessmen working in and around South Bombay were spotted selling petrol and diesel from their owners' cars to a racketeer on Ballard Pier for less than half the market price. The racketeer, in turn, sells them to others for a small profit. Petrol can be obtained from the racketeer at Rs 30 as against the market price of close to Rs 63. Eyewitnesses said even policemen buy petrol and diesel from him.