Bengaluru: In a striking case of “remote clearance,” a senior vehicle inspector attached to Bengaluru Central RTO has been suspended for issuing fitness certificates (FCs) to 41 vehicles that were never anywhere near the city. The official had issued fitness certificates to vehicles plying in distant Gujarat without physically verifying them.The inspector who came under the scanner has been identified as Nissar Ahmed. His suspension followed an alert from the Gujarat transport department authorities. The inspector had issued FCs to at least 30 vehicles on a single day (Sept 9, 2025) — even though all those vehicles were plying on roads in Gujarat, nearly 1,500km away from Bengaluru. In fact, the irregularity surfaced after the Gujarat govt alerted Karnataka authorities, pointing out that the vehicles had crossed toll plazas within Gujarat on the very day their fitness certificates were issued in Bengaluru. Toll data confirmed the vehicles could not have been physically produced before the Bengaluru RTO (regional transport office) for inspection, a mandatory requirement under motor vehicle rules.Following a letter from Gujarat govt, joint commissioner of Bengaluru Urban conducted an inquiry and found that Ahmed had renewed the FCs and the entries were recorded on the Vahan 4.0 portal. Caught unawares, the state govt has reacted by ordering a random check of FCs issued in the recent times to ascertain if there are any large-scale violations.Under the Motor Vehicles Act -1988, the motor vehicles inspector (MVI) issues fitness certificate — a legal certification indicating roadworthiness and compliance of a vehicle in terms of road fitness — for transport vehicles by conducting thorough physical inspections to ensure vehicle’s fitness on all parameters including brakes, lights, steering and emissions among other things. After physical verification, the MVI has the power to reject unfit vehicles, mandate defect rectifications, or cancel certificates.But the Bengaluru Central RTO authorities had thrown the rules to the wind. Speaking to TOI, transport minister R Ramalinga Reddy said: “The central govt has framed rules under which any state can issue fitness certificates for vehicles registered in other states. In this case, however, the RTO official issued fitness certificates without physically inspecting the vehicles, which is against the rules.”Fresh guidelines for RTOsIn the backdrop of the scam, the transport department Wednesday issued fresh guidelines for RTOs: Vehicles must henceforth be inspected only at designated locations During inspection, the vehicle inspector must take photographs of the vehicle clearly showing the number plate, along with the date, time and location. These details must be submitted to the appropriate authority in the department and subsequently uploaded to the Vahan portal. Regional transport officer or office heads must physically inspect at least 20 per cent of the vehicles presented for fitness checks. Fitness certificates for vehicles, especially those registered in other states, shall be issued only after verification by the regional transport officer or the concerned office head. A mobile application developed by the department will be used for geo-fencing during vehicle inspections to ensure compliance and prevent misuse
