Republic Day Rally: 41 Luxury Cars Booked For Breaking Traffic Rules In Mumbai

The Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) police took action on Friday morning by impounding a total of 41 high-end and sports cars and booking 43 individuals for violating unlawful assembly orders. These cars had gathered at the Jio World Drive mall, preparing for a rally from the mall to the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link and back.

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Luxury car rally infringed upon prohibitory orders

Police stated that the rally, orchestrated by an event management firm to commemorate Republic Day, infringed upon prohibitory orders prohibiting the assembly of more than five individuals in the city until February 6. Despite this, the event was listed on the online ticketing portal BookMyShow and extensively promoted on various social media platforms.

A police team arrived at Jio World Drive in BKC ahead of the scheduled start of the rally at 6 a.m. ¡°At least 100 cars were expected to participate in the rally. So we reached the spot beforehand and stopped the rally from beginning,¡± said the officer.

Impounded cars included Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi, Lamborghini, Jaguar, and BMW

The impounded cars from the venue included prestigious models from renowned companies such as Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, Audi, Lamborghini, Jaguar, and BMW. The owners, predominantly businessmen residing in Bandra, Khar, and Andheri, along with the rally organisers, were booked under section 188 (deliberate disobedience of an order duly promulgated by a public servant empowered by law to do so) and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Police Act 1951, according to police reports.

¡°These owners have been taking part in the rally for the past 10 years, at various locations during Independence Day and Republic Day. They knew the procedures that are in place but still neglected to approach us for permission,¡± said an officer from BKC police.

Affected car owners, on the other hand, accused the police of high-handedness. ¡°We are all upstanding and law-abiding citizens from respectable backgrounds. If the police had told us about the prohibitory orders or the lack of permission when they arrived, we would not have participated in the rally. Instead, they registered a case against us even though we did not drive,¡± said a car owner requesting anonymity.

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All cars remain parked at Jio World Drive

All the confiscated vehicles currently remain parked at Jio World Drive, as police officials collaborate with the traffic police to carry out necessary procedures, including the calculation of fines for each case.

¡°All cars will be checked for any signs of alterations that are not permitted. If found to be flouting norms, we will book the owners of those cars under additional sections,¡± said a police officer. The cars will be returned to owners after they pay necessary fines and comply with other court proceedings.

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