Multiple vehicle registration foxes cops

AHMEDABAD: Cops investigating terror cases trying to identify vehicle owners through Regional Transport Office (RTO) often face a dead end.
The reason: it is possible for a vehicle to get registered thrice and be issued three different registration numbers at Ahmedabad RTO. That too, without the vehicle being produced at the office.
Moreover, sometimes, registration is in a different name for one of the numbers.Such practices were brought to light when a tractor owner sought accountability under Right to Information (RTI) Act since his vehicle was given three numbers.
Khema Bharwad, resident of Jubal village in Sanand taluka, asked for certified true copies of RC books and relevant documents for his tractor with numbers GJ-1AQ-8703, GJ-1AQ-9413 and GJ-1AQ-9416. Moreover, he wanted to know who was the officer who inspected his vehicle at time of registration.
In its reply, RTO has attributed oversight as the reason for this and stated it has no record of who brought the tractor for registration.
Also, it said while registration numbers were issued, some documents are incomplete or incorrect.
Before Gujarat Information Commission (GIC), Bharwad said he purchased a tractor in 2004 from an authorised dealer for Rs 3,47,555 in exchange for an old tractor valued at Rs 1 lakh. But, what he received was not a new tractor.
Apart from RTO giving him three different numbers, he alleged that due to connivance of concerned employees complete information was not provided.
Officials from office of commissioner of transport submitted to GIC that in respect of GJ-1AQ-9416, address of owner as provided in form 20 and extract of the village form 7/12 were different.
After scrutiny it was prima facie established that the inspecting officer failed to verify documents properly.
Departmental proceedings have been initiated against the officer, MH Lalni. Action is also being taken against all employees associated with the registration work. In its interim order directing information be provided to Bharwad, GIC wondered how a person can get three registration numbers.
Also, how RTO didn���t have information on who produced the vehicle or which officer made the registration.