Nagpur: Is it a goof-up or a scam? Whatever may be the case, the Regional Transport Office (Nagpur Rural RTO) is under scanner once again after it allotted the same registration number to two vehicles, according to a report in a local English daily.
The report said that a Bolero pickup owner Vivek Vijay Pendam had bought the vehicle in May 2015. The Rural RTO allotted him registration number MH40-AK-2567. The Rural RTO allotted the same registration number to a truck through an online system.
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Wednesday12 Feb. 2025
According to the report, a big scam has been brewing in the Nagpur Rural RTO for the last many years. Hand in glove with agents, RTO officials and clerks allegedly allot registration numbers of other vehicles to stolen trucks. Though the case was brought to the notice of Rural RTO, it did nothing, said the report.
The report quoting Assistant RTO Shantaram Phase said he confirmed the matter but claimed the truck has already been detained in Bhiwandi for the last many months. Even after this, the RTO portal is showing Sayyad Jakir as owner of the truck with the same registration number (MH40-AK-2567). The Assistant RTO further clarified that when Pendam had purchased the vehicle, there was no online registration facility for transport vehicles. The online system was introduced somewhere between 2016 and 2017. Taking advantage of this, some RTO employees in collusion with the said transporter allotted Pendam’s vehicle number to the truck in an online system, the report in the English daily claimed.
Since 2019, Pendam has been running from pillar to post to get his vehicle documents updated online, but in vain. Phase, however, assured it will be done without further delay.
The report further claimed that the employees of Rural RTO allegedly bypassed laws and reportedly issued NOCs to stolen vehicles as in the recent times at least four similar cases have cropped up in this office. As per Central Motor Vehicles Rules, for issuing NOCs and transfer of registration of vehicles from one state to other, certain documents like original registration certificate, valid insurance, pollution under control (PUC) certificate, fitness certificate in case of transport vehicles, tax card (if obtained) and address proof are mandatory. However, after greasing the palms of transport department employees, many stolen vehicles were reportedly registered in Rural RTO, sources alleged. A complaint was also filed with the crime branch police. Instead of probing the matter, the police too reportedly helped in hushing up the crime, the report alleged.
With no full-time Regional Transport Officer in this office since 2019, Wardha’s Deputy RTO Bajrang Kharmate was given additional charge of Nagpur Rural RTO, but he hardly visits the office. Now, the office has become the hub of many alleged irregular activities, the report claimed.
