Bhopal RTO’s role comes under scrutiny:₹13 lakh vehicle falsely transferred using fake documents without owner’s knowledge

Bhopal’s Regional Transport Office (RTO) is once again under serious allegations. It is alleged that through middlemen, a Tata 407 worth Rs 13 lakh was transferred to another person’s name without the vehicle owner’s knowledge or presence, based on fake documents. After the case came to light, the RTO re-registered the vehicle in the original owner’s name on paper, but no action was taken against the accused, and the vehicle has still not been returned to the owner. RTO Jitendra Sharma said the vehicle owner had submitted an online application, and based on that application, the RTO at the time had recorded the vehicle’s online transfer. Tata 407 bought in 2016 Dhirendra Singh Chauhan, a resident of Siddharth Lake City, had purchased the Tata 407 in 2016. At that time, the vehicle cost around Rs 8.5 lakh. The registration number of the vehicle is MP04 GB 0670. Dhirendra had rented the vehicle to Kerry Soft Limited in Danish Nagar. Fraud comes to light after rental dispute According to Dhirendra, the rent was received on time initially, but later the company operator Vimal Shukla started delaying payments. When the vehicle was requested back, excuses were made. Meanwhile, after seeing news of car bomb blasts in Delhi, Dhirendra checked his vehicle’s online documents as a precaution. He discovered that the vehicle had been transferred to Manoj Kumar Pandey’s name in March 2023. No visit to RTO, no signature provided Dhirendra stated that he had neither visited the RTO nor signed any transfer documents, yet the vehicle was registered in someone else’s name. He filed a complaint at Katara Hills police station and the RTO. Despite multiple visits over several days, no concrete action was taken. Investigation revealed that the vehicle had been transferred using fake documents. Later, the RTO re-registered the vehicle in Dhirendra Singh Chauhan’s name. Transfer based on online application RTO Jitendra Sharma stated that the vehicle transfer process was carried out based on an online application. The RTO at the time recorded the transfer in the system. When both parties appeared and the case was found suspicious, the entire matter was re-heard. Both parties were given a chance to be heard. Under the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act, the vehicle transfer notification was cancelled, and the vehicle was again registered in the original owner’s name. However, either party can appeal the decision again. Why was the earlier irregularity possible? The OTP system in the online process was different six months ago. Previously, one could enter their number and generate an OTP to transfer the vehicle themselves. Six months ago, the system was changed, and now the OTP is sent only to the registered mobile number, preventing such irregularities. Vehicle returned to original owner Transport officials said that when both parties were heard, each gave a sworn statement at the RTO: one claimed that the vehicle was purchased with cash, while the other denied selling it. Since the buyer could not provide proof of cash payment, the vehicle was transferred back to the original owner. The RTO also clarified that either party can appeal to the Transport Commissioner if they object to the order.