I was issued a challan for public smoking
During a recent gathering with friends near a tea stall close to my house, we were smoking cigarettes when two policemen on a bike showed up. One of them saw us smoking and approached us, claiming that he had observed us smoking even after their arrival. By then, we threw away our cigarettes and became silent. He took a photo of me without holding any cigarette, then asked for my personal information, and I provided him with a copy of my Aadhar card on my phone. He took a photo of it and sent it to someone on WhatsApp. He also asked for my contact number, which I provided.
The next day, I received a strange message on WhatsApp from an unknown number. The message stated that an e-petty case had been booked against me and instructed me to appear in court. It included the address of the court, the contact details of a court officer, and a warning that if I failed to attend court, a charge sheet would be filed against me. When I called the provided number for clarification, the person informed me that as it was a law and order case, no challan would be issued, and I had to attend the court to clear the matter. However, the individual refused to provide me with any details about the judge presiding over the case, stating that it was unnecessary information.
Although I am not sure whether to take this message seriously, it concerns me that the police officer did not provide any information about the alleged case or its charges. Furthermore, the message I received seemed suspicious and poorly written, making me hesitant to trust its legitimacy
Is challan really not issued? and can an officer file e-petty case without any legitimate proof?
Please help me out with this confusion.