BENGALURU: The Transport Department has suspended Nissar Ahmed, a senior Motor Vehicle Inspector at the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Bengaluru (Central), for illegally issuing fitness certificates to 41 Gujarat-registered vehicles without physical inspection.
The action follows directions from Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy after the Gujarat Transport Department flagged the irregularity. Data from the e-detection portal revealed that the vehicles were issued Form-38(A) fitness certificates in Karnataka while they were recorded passing through toll plazas in Gujarat on the same day.
Gujarat Transport Department’s e-Detection Team found that 41 vehicles were issued Form-38(A) (Fitness Certificates) at RTO offices in Karnataka, but on the same day, these vehicles were found passing through toll plazas in Gujarat. The Gujarat transport authorities said the approvals were granted by Nissar Ahmed.
An internal inquiry confirmed through the Vahan 4.0 software that the fitness certificates were renewed at the RTO, Bengaluru (Central), and that the vehicles had not been physically inspected. This violation of the Motor Vehicles Act and Rules amounted to serious dereliction of duty and led to his suspension.
From February 2, a geo-fenced M-Fitness App will be introduced across the state. The app will mandate the physical presence of vehicles, GPS-tagged photographs and recording of location coordinates.