India, March 31 -- What better place for a car mechanic to set up shop than a parking facility for over a thousand vehicles. Three partners, who own a car repair business, have done just that, moving into the ground floor of a multi-level parking facility in Byculla east a few months ago. The hitch: the ground-plus-four podium structure, near Byculla station, is a public facility owned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), making the garage an unauthorised operation.

And yet the garage is making no attempt to conceal its presence. More than 20 cars were parked there, tools strewn all over, and mechanics busy at work a few days ago.

Business is obviously good, for the partners who own the garage allegedly pay Rs.45,000 a month...