Mumbai News: Woman Booked For Assaulting Andheri RTO Staff

Police in Amboli have booked a woman for allegedly assaulting a public servant and using criminal force to deter him from performing his duty.

Isha Chhabra, 33, arrived at the Andheri Regional Transport Office on April 28 and informed staff that her car had been registered under another woman’s name, Sneha Pandey. When the RTO clerk explained that Pandey had submitted the necessary documents and that the registration could not be reversed immediately, Chhabra became aggressive. She verbally abused and physically assaulted female RTO staff and damaged a staff member’s phone and government-issued computer.

According to the FIR, Chhabra is employed at HDFC Life Trading and lives in Andheri (West). On April 28, at around 11.20am, she arrived at the RTO and approached two female clerks, including Susmita Bhogale, 53. Chhabra informed them that her car had been wrongly registered in the name of Pandey. She stated that she had not sold the car and had no agreement or transaction with Pandey regarding any transfer. She demanded that the car be immediately re-registered in her name.

The clerks explained that Pandey had submitted valid documents, including a loan application, and based on those, the car was legally registered in her name. They also informed Chhabra that this information had already been shared with her through a response under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Unhappy with the response, Chhabra became furious and started yelling at the staff. Clerks Bhogale and Vrushali Kale, 35, attempted to calm her down, but she refused to listen and continued shouting. In a fit of rage, she tried to pull a computer off the desk, causing it to fall. The RTO staff then dialled 100 and requested police assistance.

Chhabra continued verbally abusing the staff. When Kale attempted to record the incident on her phone, Chhabra allegedly snatched the phone, twisted Kale’s hand, threatened them, and stormed out of the office.

Outside, she attempted to get into an Ola car while still holding Kale’s phone. When Bhogale tried to retrieve the phone, Chhabra allegedly punched her in the face, causing the phone to fall and break. By then, the police arrived at the scene, apprehended Chhabra, and brought her to the Amboli police station.

Kale filed a complaint against Chhabra. Subsequently, the police registered an FIR against her under sections 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of duty), 121(2) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter a public servant from duty), 324(2) (mischief), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

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