The Karnataka Transport Department has suspended a senior official posted at the Koramangala Regional Transport Office (RTO) after it was found that fitness certificates (FCs) were issued to 41 heavy motor vehicles registered in Gujarat without any physical inspection.
Based on the directions of Minister for Transport Ramalinga Reddy, Nisar Ahmed, Senior Motor Vehicle Inspector, was placed under suspension for dereliction of duty after allegedly approving FCs in violation of statutory rules. The suspension order was issued by the Commissioner of the Karnataka Transport Department on January 20.
According to officials, the irregularity came to light after the e-Detection team of the Gujarat State Transport Department analysed data available on the vehicle e-Detection portal. The scrutiny revealed that 41 heavy vehicles registered in Gujarat had been shown as inspected at RTO offices in Karnataka and were issued Form-38(A), the mandatory Fitness Certificate for transport vehicles. “However, records showed that these very vehicles had passed through toll plazas located in Gujarat on the same day the inspections were purportedly carried out in Karnataka,” an official said.
The Deputy Director in the Office of the Transport Commissioner, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, alerted Karnataka authorities and informed them that the approvals for the Fitness Certificates had been authorised by Mr. Ahmed.
Transport Minister Mr. Reddy ordered a probe.
“The report, based on data from the Vahan 4.0 software platform, confirmed that Mr. Ahmed had renewed the fitness certificates of the 41 vehicles. It also conclusively established that the vehicles were physically present in Gujarat on the same day, making any inspection in Karnataka impossible,” the official added.
The officials stated that the approvals were granted without mandatory physical inspection, amounting to a clear violation of the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act and associated rules.
Published – January 21, 2026 07:32 pm IST
