Vigilance conducts surprise checking at seven RTA Offices to probe irregularities in issuance of vehicle fitness certificate

Chandigarh August 24, 2022: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau during its campaign against corruption in the state nabbed Motor Vehicles Inspector (MVI) Jalandhar Naresh Kaler and a private agent Rampal @ Radhe and recovered bribe amount of Rs 12.50 lakh besides documents pertaining to suspicious issuance of fitness certificates to vehicles.

Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the State Vigilance Bureau (VB) informed that on the basis of complaints regarding irregularities and corruption in some the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) offices, the Bureau on Tuesday 23th August, has conducted surprise checking at MVI offices at seven locations in the State namely Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Faridkot, Mansa, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.

He informed that during the searches the VB teams have confiscated records pertaining to suspicious issuance of fitness certificates to vehicles have been collected from MVI and respective RTA offices. He further added that earlier to this the VB has unearthed a vehicle fitness certificate scam in the RTA office Sangrur thereby arrested two officials and an agent. In this case a FIR has also been registered against RTA, MVI, clerks and private agents VB police station Patiala.

The spokesperson further informed that at Jalandhar, an agent operating in the MVI office was nabbed. During his interrogation Rs. 12.5 lakhs of bribe money was recovered by the VB. Consequently, FIR No. 14 dated 23-8-2022 at VB police station Jalandhar has been registered u/s 120B and 420 of IPC and 7, 7-A of Prevention of Corruption Act against Naresh Kaler, MVI, Jalandhar and 10 private agents operating in his office. He added that MVI Kaler and agent Rampal @ Radhe have been arrested in the case.

He informed that as per rules of transport department all commercial vehicles had to obtain fitness certificate from the RTA office in order to ply on the roads and all such vehicles along with their documents have to be physically inspected by the MVI in his office.

Revealing the modus operandi he added that it has come to light in various districts the officials in connivance with agents and middlemen were issuing fitness certificates without any physical verification of vehicles in lieu of heavy bribes per vehicle depending on model of vehicle. In this way some of the RTAs and MVIs were passing the vehicles only on the basis of documents without physical inspections of vehicles that have to be parked at a specified place for inspection on the spot.

He revealed that further investigations in these state level inspections are under progress and strict action as per law would be initiated if anyone found guilty in this regard.