RTO atrocity: Auto driver yet to get vehicle

Auto driver Ramesh Shrikari Sahu with his seized vehicle at the Andheri RTO. Pic/Shirish Vaktania

For over three years, Ramesh Shrikari Sahu, an auto driver from Andheri, has been running from pillar to post as his autorickshaw, his only source of income, was confiscated by the Andheri RTO for no fault of his. According to Sahu, someone had illegally obtained a permit against his auto and RTO officials seized his vehicle without any verification.

After mid-day highlighted the matter on February 6, the Amboli police finally woke up and took cognisance of his complaint after which two people were arrested in the case. However, the Andheri RTO office, which was primarily at fault for issuing a second permit against Sahu's auto, has been blatantly refusing to accept its fault and has been leaving no stone unturned to protect its officers.

The two people arrested in the RTO permit scam, on Tuesday, are Ramesh Ganesh Sahu, 40, and RTO agent Munna alias Hariram Dashrath Sahu, 39, a resident of Kurla. The former, an autorickshaw driver, had purchased the duplicate permit from the latter.

Painful journey

The complainant, Ramesh Shrikari Sahu, has been driving autos since 2004 and obtained a permit, which allows one to buy a rickshaw, in 2018. The same year, he purchased a new auto, but when he visited the Andheri RTO office in October 2020 to renew the permit, he found that his autorickshaw number was blacklisted. The complainant met RTO officer Hemant Patil, who investigated this matter and instructed him to meet Shyamrao Shete, an officer, who asked to submit the school leaving certificate and also to apply for a name-change gazette.

Sahu has been trying to get back his autorickshaw for three years. Pic/Atul Kamble

Ramesh Shrikari Sahu then made the gazette and submitted it to the RTO. Later, Shete told him that his case had been transferred to RTO officer Ashok Pawar. However, on April 12, 2021, when Ramesh Shrikari Sahu reached the RTO office to meet officer Pawar, his auto was seized. "Many of my auto parts have been stolen. Instead of investigating the matter and finding the RTO officers responsible for the mistake, they closed the file and are not helping the police with the investigation," the complainant said.

‘Officer made mistake'

Following investigations, the Amboli police told mid-day that an unknown RTO officer had goofed up and issued a duplicate permit and that the RTO officers were not cooperating with the investigation. When this reporter asked who had issued the duplicate permit, RTO officials told him they didn't have any records about this as they had destroyed all the papers.

An investigating officer said, "The accused Ramesh Ganesh Sahu created an Aadhaar card, and he told us that he used his father-in-law's name as his middle name. The accused and complainant have a different middle name but the rest of the details were the same. We are checking with the Aadhaar card centre to find out how he made the Aadhaar card with the name of the complainant."

The accused also told the cops that he was residing at the same address where the complainant was residing. The cops believe that the accused created a duplicate Aadhaar card and used it to apply for an auto permit. The cops also found that RTO agent Munna helped Ramesh Ganesh Sahu with the permit and took a commission.

The investigation officer, API Suresh Valvi of Amboli police station, sent many letters to Andheri RTO to investigate the matter and find the RTO officer responsible for the mistake, only to be told that the office didn't have records about which officer issued this permit. mid-day tried to speak with RTO officer Ashok Pawar, but he refused to speak on the matter.

Assistant Regional Transport Officer Raosaheb Ragade of the Andheri RTO told mid-day, "We don't have records in our system on who issued this duplicate permit. Every year, we dispose of the documents and upload only the licence copy to our system. But, we don't have records of who issued this licence."

"We are cooperating with the cops and also sent out answers regarding the same," he added. The complainant said, "I have been driving a rented auto for the past three years. The Andheri RTO should investigate this matter, find the accused and return my vehicle to me. My seized vehicle is not in a condition to run on the road as it has become scrap. The RTO is responsible for this, and I should get a new auto."

Amboli police's questions to the RTO and the answers they received

1) On March 17, 2023, the Amboli police sent a notice under Section 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to the Andheri RTO to inquire who issued the permit.
We only have records for two years. We don't have information in our system about who issued this permit.

2) On August 26, 2022, in another letter to the RTO, the cops asked if it had issued the permit first to Ramesh Shrikari Sahu or Ramesh Ganesh Sahu?
Ramesh Shrikari Sahu.

3) In 2004, the auto licence was issued under whose name?
Under Ramesh Shrikari Sahu's name.

4) In 2013, the complainant submitted the documents for issuing a smart card licence under whose name?
Ramesh Shrikari Sahu.

5) Sahu received a smart licence with the wrong name, Ramesh Ganesh Sahu, for what reasons?
No records.

6) Do you have a record of the accused's documents?
No records.

7) The RTO seized both the complainant's and accused's autorickshaws. Who defrauded the RTO?
We don't have records. We have records of two years only.

8) Which officer issued the duplicate permit?
We don't have records.