“Stupid” man who denied using disabled mother’s Blue Badge to park BMW caught red-handed on CCTV

A “stupid” man who denied using his disabled mother’s Blue Badge to park his BMW for free in Portsmouth was caught red-handed on CCTV.

Tamandeep Khaneja appeared before Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court where he admitted his fraudulent actions. The court heard how Khaneja had used a Blue Badge belonging to his mother, Narinder Kaur Khaneja, while parking in Greetham Street close to Unite student halls of residence in the city.

The badge had been issued to M Khaneja by Ealing Council in April 2025 and, under the rules governing the scheme, could only be used when the badge holder was being transported to or from the place where the vehicle was parked.

But on January 19, 2026, Khaneja was seen parking a BMW in a pay-and-display bay and displaying the badge.

Senior criminal investigator Stephen Goodall was carrying out patrols in the area when he spotted the vehicle outside the student accommodation. A check was made with the badge holder, who confirmed she was at her home address in London.

A Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) was subsequently issued but Khaneja appealed against the parking penalty, initially claiming that he was himself a valid Blue Badge holder and saying: “I displayed my blue badge when I got there.” He also questioned why he had received the ticket.

When council officers told him that the badge displayed on the vehicle had actually been issued to his mother, Khaneja was asked to explain where she had been.

He then claimed: “She was with me, hence why I used the badge.”

However, CCTV footage obtained during the investigation told a different story. The footage showed Khaneja arriving alone at around 2.37pm and placing the Blue Badge on the dashboard of the BMW.

He then went into the nearby university halls before he was seen more than three hours later, at around 6.06pm, leaving the accommodation with a young woman. The pair placed a large suitcase in the boot before driving away.

The investigation found that his mother was not present. Khaneja was later invited to attend an interview but declined and failed to respond to questions from the council over his use of the badge.

At court, Khaneja admitted two offences of fraudulently using the badge without the holder being present, and submitting false or misleading representations in an attempt to have the parking penalty cancelled.

Asked by the magistrates why he had misused the badge and subsequently challenged the parking ticket, he simply replied: “I was stupid.” The court imposed financial penalties totalling £844.

The court also heard that Khaneja is facing a separate, ongoing prosecution relating to an allegation of driving without insurance. That matter was not part of the offences to which he pleaded guilty at this hearing.

The case highlights the legal restrictions surrounding Blue Badge use. The badge is issued to an individual and cannot simply be used by friends or relatives to obtain parking concessions when the badge holder is not present.

Cllr Peter Candlish, member for transport at Portsmouth City Council, said: “Blue Badge misuse directly affects disabled people who genuinely rely on these spaces. The council takes this matter very seriously and is committed to protecting the scheme through robust enforcement and investigation.

"Portsmouth's expertise in this area has led to the council providing training to other authorities across the UK to help tackle the issue of Blue Badge misuse."