Parking mafia: Prof fights Gariahat parking mafia after asking for note | Kolkata News

Kolkata: An assistant professor claims she was threatened by six to seven parking thugs on Thursday night when she asked for a parking ticket after paying Rs 40 to park her car under the Gariahat flyover for 30 minutes. Parking under the flyover is currently free and the rate for parking a car is Rs 10 per hour elsewhere in the city.
Teesta Dey, head of the geography department at Kidderpore College, said she responded to a threat via Facebook Live, which prompted the men to retreat.

The parking lot in question was temporarily seized by the Gariahat police a few months ago to investigate extortion by illegal parking fee collectorsIt had declared it a free parking lot because the previous agency that had won the contract to collect parking fees had given up on the location and Municipal Corporation of Kolkata (KMC) is yet to issue a tender to appoint a new agency.
The South-East Traffic Police said they were informed about the incident by Lalbazar after Dey Kolkata Traffic Police in her post. Gariahat police are trying to track down the suspect. “We will ask her to file a complaint with Gariahat police. We have also raised the issue with KMC,” an officer said.
“After coming out of college, I went to a meeting at Gariahat junction. I parked my car just beyond the junction, next to the public toilet, under the flyover. After an hour and a half, I had finished the meeting and was about to get into my car when a man came to collect the parking fee. I gave him a Rs 50 note and asked, ‘Can you give me the slip?’ The man, looking a bit confused, gave me Rs 10 back and said, ‘Slip? There is no slip.’ I replied, ‘You should have a machine to write parking slips and the registration staff should give you the slip.’ Irritated, he said, ‘Okay, wait, let me check.’ He left and did not come back. My driver suggested that I leave, but I insisted on waiting to see what would happen,” wrote Professor Dey.
Dey stated that after some time the man came back when another car was trying to park at the same spot and asked, “Why are you still here?” I said, “How can I leave without the slip?” He replied, “Don’t make a fuss about Rs 40, go fast, another car has to park there.” I replied, “I am not leaving. Bring the slip first, then we will talk. I know how the traffic works.” Hearing this, he came back with seven or eight well-built men who surrounded me. One of them said, “That’s how things work here. Go fast.” The others repeated, “Go, go fast.”
Dey claimed to have remained calm and said, “I am a female government official. More importantly, I am right and you are wrong. You can act tough, but remember that anything can be shared on social media these days. The public is angry. The power you show will disappear in the blink of an eye. Do you want to see it?”
Dey told TOI on Friday that it worked like magic. “They exchanged looks and even gave my money back. This incident is not my first and it will not be my last. I saw fear in their eyes, something I had never seen before. They realised that the public is angry and ready to protest,” Dey said.
The post attracted over 120 strange comments. “This problem is common. Especially during the festival season, they have a holiday of it. It is very important to stand up against this,” wrote Madhabi Mitra.
“During exams, I drive to college to take my exams. My car remains parked a short distance from my college in Golpark. When I get into my car after my exams, a parking attendant asks me for Rs 40-60. I have asked for a receipt many times, but they refuse to give it. On the day of my last semester exam, they gave me a crumpled piece of paper, claiming that the money should be given to ‘KMDA’ and not ‘KMC’,” alleged Arko Das.