No licence, 17-year-old rides scooter in Bandra; FIR filed against dad

Mumbai: Bandra police filed an FIR against a Kurla resident after his 17-year-old son was caught riding a scooter without a licence last week.Police said the junior college student told them that his father—Razza Abdul Rehman Shaikh (45), a driver—had handed him the scooter and its key. The boy rode the vehicle for nearly 9km before he was pulled over. The vehicle has been seized.A traffic police officer said as per the law, if an underage person is caught driving a vehicle without a licence—learner’s or standard—proceedings can be initiated against a parent or the vehicle owner. If found guilty, the parent or the vehicle owner can be slapped with a penalty of Rs 25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to three years. Police said in such cases, the minor can also face strict legal action, barring them from procuring a learner’s or permanent driving licence till the age of 25.The 17-year-old was caught during a nakabandi at Hill Road in Bandra West on Aug 19. “He failed to produce a valid driving licence. His Aadhaar card revealed he was a minor. His father was detained and was later released after a notice was served,” said a Bandra police officer.As per a complaint filed by police constable Meenakumari Shitole, who carried out the nakabandi, “During an inquiry, it was found that the scooter belonged to one Ajaz Aziz Ahmed Khan, who said he had given it to his sister’s husband, Shaikh, for use.”