Police in Surat, Gujarat, have unearthed a major fake RTO challan racket in which forged traffic penalty receipts and fabricated official documents were used to convince the government to release more than 60 seized vehicles. Three people have been arrested in connection with the case, and investigators estimate the fraud caused a loss of ₹5.18 lakh to the government treasury.
According to the police, the accused produced counterfeit traffic challans and payment receipts that appeared very close to genuine documents issued by the Regional Transport Office (RTO). They also forged the signatures and official seals of RTO officers and staff to make the fake documents appear authentic.
The gang mainly targeted owners of vehicles seized for traffic violations and other crimes, investigators said. The suspects, posing as authorised RTO agents, approached vehicle owners and promised to release vehicles faster, at a lower cost, they said.
Police alleged the accused collected penalty amounts directly from vehicle owners but did not deposit the money with the government. Instead, they handed over forged payment receipts which vehicle owners unknowingly submitted at police stations to recover their seized vehicles. As a result, government records continued to show the fines as unpaid while the accused allegedly pocketed the money.
The fraud was discovered when a person visited Kadodara Police Station with a receipt that officers suspected was fake. A police officer noticed that there were discrepancies in the document during verification, prompting a thorough investigation. There were forged signatures, counterfeit seals, and fake payment receipts.
Police identified and arrested three accused in the investigation of the case: Mohsin Redimani from the Madina Masjid area of Limbayat, Akbar Sheikh from Akbar Nagar, Limbayat, and Sunil Sharma from Chhapra Bhatha in Amroli, Surat.
Investigators believe that the trio was acting as agents for the Pal RTO office and had already gained the trust of vehicle owners with quick and inexpensive assistance to get vehicles out of impound. Police believe that the gang deceived a large number of people over a period of time.
Now federal authorities are investigating the whole operation to determine the full scope of the operation, find more victims, and to determine whether more people were involved in the racket. Also, authorities are looking at whether similar forged documents were used in other police departments and jurisdictions.
Police have advised citizens to only make traffic fine payments through official government channels and to verify the authenticity of RTO documents before using them. They have also advised vehicle owners not to approach any unauthorised agents who are promising quicker or cheaper services.
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