Two RTO officers suspended in fake driving license test scam
Mumbai, Mar 12 (PTI): Two officers from the Mumbai West Regional Transport Office (RTO) have been suspended in connection with a fake driving licence scam wherein questionable driving tests were conducted on invalid vehicles in 2023-24, an official said on Wednesday.
The suspended officials, Assistant RTO Raosaheb Ragde and Motor Vehicle Inspector Umesh Devre, were placed under suspension following a probe conducted by the Transport Commissioner’s office.
As per the suspension order dated March 10, the Maharashtra Accountant General (Audit), Nagpur, had flagged irregularities in the issuance of driving licenses at the Mumbai West RTO office, during the financial year 2023-24.
The audit report raised concerns about licenses issued based on fake driving tests, prompting an internal inquiry. Following the investigation led by the Andheri RTO, the inquiry committee confirmed procedural lapses in the issuance of driving licenses, officials said.
During their suspension period, Ragade will be stationed at the RTO Mumbai (East), while Devre will report to the RTO Mumbai (Central) as their headquarters.
The investigation revealed procedural lapses, with the RTO reportedly using a single vehicle for conducting driving tests for multiple applicants, irrespective of the class of licence.
The scam was exposed during a routine check of 1.04 lakh driving licences using the online ‘Sarathi’ database. The audit revealed that nearly 75 per cent of these licences—76,354 in total—were issued in 2023-24 following questionable driving tests conducted on invalid vehicles.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
