2 RTO Officers Suspended For Issuing 76,000 Fake Driving Licenses

Two officers from the Regional Transport Office in Mumbai’s Andheri have been suspended from duty in connection with a fake driving license scam. As per reports, the officers had issued licenses to applicants based on fake driving tests. According to reports, the officers issued around 76,000 fake driving licenses to applicants based on fraudulent tests.

The suspended officers have been identified as Assistant RTO Raosaheb Ragde and Motor Vehicle Inspector Umesh Devre. Following the suspension, an investigation has been launched by the Transport Commissioner’s office. The scam came to light when the Maharashtra Accountant General (Audit), Nagpur, flagged irregularities in the issuance of driving licenses at the Mumbai West RTO office during the financial year 2023-24.

The audit revealed that over 76,000 driving licenses were issued based on ‘fake’ driving tests conducted using unauthorized vehicles. It was later discovered that some agents and officers were aware of this scam. Once the audit report was released, the Mumbai RTO looked into the matter and launched an inquiry. They began scrutinizing over one lakh driving licenses, driving tests, documentation, and the officers overseeing them.

It was revealed that out of the 1.04 lakh licenses scanned for 2023-24, a staggering 76,354 driving licenses—nearly 75 percent—were based on ‘suspect’ driving tests conducted using invalid vehicles. The audit report stated that only two two-wheelers and two cars were repeatedly used for conducting driving tests across various vehicle categories, ranging from scooters to heavy-duty cranes. These vehicles were used to issue the 76,354 questionable driving licenses.

It was also noted that 41,093 driving licenses were issued using the two two-wheelers, while another 35,261 DLs were cleared using the two four-wheelers. It became clear that a scam was taking place with the knowledge of the officials.

The auditors’ report highlighted that licenses for Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) were issued even though the driving tests were conducted on two-wheelers (motorcycles). The evidence clearly implicated the accused officers, leading to swift action against them. It is not yet clear whether the officers were involved in exchange for money or other favors. The auditors also mentioned that officials the officials never verified the vehicle details nor did they follow due procedure for conducting driving license tests.

Not the First Time

This is not the first time such a case has come to light. Recently, a Motor Vehicle Department officer was caught red-handed while demanding a bribe from an applicant. When a vigilance team raided the officer’s residence, they were surprised to find around 49 expensive liquor bottles in his flat.

Following the news, the Kerala Excise Department began pursuing the accused officer, T. M. Jerson. The excise department found that Jerson had illegally stored 49 bottles of expensive and imported liquor at his home, far exceeding the permissible limit.

Most of the liquor bottles recovered from Jerson’s residence were imported. The cost of a single bottle ranged between ₹25,000 and ₹1 lakh. In addition to demanding bribes in cash, the officer also requested expensive liquor bottles from applicants.