Chandigarh, April 8 — The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has booked three individuals, including a vehicle body workshop owner, for allegedly using forged documents to register and sell scrapped vehicles through the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) in Bathinda without physical verification.
During a surprise inspection at the RTA Bathinda office, officials from the Vigilance Bureau’s Bathinda Range uncovered a fraud involving five condemned jeeps fraudulently registered and sold at inflated prices. One accused, Naresh Kumar, owner of Nagpal Body Maker on Sirsa Road in Dabwali, Haryana, has been arrested. Raids are underway to nab two other accused — Naveen Kumar of NFL Colony and Inderjeet Singh of Dhobiana Road, both residents of Bathinda.
“These vehicles were never brought to Bathinda, yet the accused managed to obtain NOCs from Gujarat and used forged documents to register them here,” a VB spokesperson said.
The accused allegedly purchased five scrapped Mahindra & Mahindra jeeps (1993–1996 models) from various states and secured No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from Gujarat without actual vehicle movement. They also misused a rental agreement under the name of Rajesh Tuteja—without his consent—to manipulate ownership records.
The jeeps were modified at the Nagpal Body Maker workshop in Dabwali before being registered with the RTA Bathinda using forged paperwork, allegedly in connivance with transport officials and private agents. The vehicles were then sold to unsuspecting buyers.
“All five modified jeeps have been seized in a raid at the Dabwali workshop. Their estimated value is around Rs 25 lakh,” the spokesperson noted.
FIR No. 11 dated April 7, 2025, has been registered under sections 7-A, 13(1)(A) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita including 318(4), 336(2), 338, 336(4), 340(2), and 61.
The Bureau confirmed that the role of RTA Bathinda officials and other private parties will also be investigated. “If any official is found involved, they will be nominated in the case accordingly,” the spokesperson added.
