Car ferrying Ambani caught in no-drive hill

By Our bureau | www.telegraphindia.com – 5 hours ago
Mumbai, Jan. 22: Maharashtra police have seized a car in which Nita Ambani was travelling and registered a case against the driver on the charge of flouting the law in the hill resort of Matheran.
Nita, wife of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani, was in the car when the alleged incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, police sources said.
Cars are not allowed at Matheran, about 100km from Mumbai, in line with a central law. The environment and forest ministry had declared the hill station an eco-sensitive zone in February 2003 to protect its rich biodiversity.
Visitors need to park their cars at a point called Dasturi and trek uphill for around 2.5km or ride on horseback or hand-pulled rickshaws to reach the Matheran town centre. The other option is a toy train from Neral in Navi Mumbai, which takes about an hour.
The Honda CRV ferrying Nita was flagged down by a constable as it tried to negotiate the dirt track that leads up to Matheran, the police said.
"The driver ignored him and sped past till the vehicle was stopped at a police checkpoint ahead on the road. The driver, Sudhir Narain, got into an argument with the policemen on duty and was taken to Matheran police station along with the car which was registered under RIL's name," said Parambir Singh, inspector-general of police, Konkan region, under whose jurisdiction Matheran falls.
Singh said a non-cognisable offence was lodged against the driver and the car was seized by Matheran's superintendent of police.
"Nita Ambani's driver was booked for forcibly entering the prohibited area. The driver has said in his statement that Nita Ambani was inside the car at the time of the incident. The driver has been booked under section 15 of the Environment Protection Act as per a complaint registered by forest officials and under the Motor Vehicles Act by the SP of Matheran," Singh said.
Police sources said Nita had come from Mumbai on a chopper and landed at the Reliance helipad in Neral, Navi Mumbai, and then driven to Matheran. "After the incident, Nita Ambani was escorted by Reliance officials back to Neral," a police source said.
No Reliance industries spokesperson could be reached for confirmation.
Apart from wearing various hats in Reliance ventures, Nita is also the chairperson of the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai.
The school, which has a study centre at Matheran for senior students, has adopted a nearby village, Hassachipatti, where the pupils carry out social work.
Matheran's landmark Rugby hotel was bought by Mukesh Ambani some years ago and converted into a private resort. Nita usually stays there when she visits Matheran.

The above is from the Telegraph.

The rich are a law unto themselves. They make their own laws.
It is obvious with the investment Nita Ambani has made in Matheron that she was habitually visiting the place in a car.
It is unfortunate that some new security guards may have been posted who did not know the rules (must not have received his bribe) and so the crime became public.
We may rest assured that some good money will flow and everything will be hunky dorky, the environment may go to hell.