Mumbai: Traffic police find 330 bikes with same temporary number

Traffic cops have seized a vehicle with the bogus TC No MH-03-TC-337

The Mumbai Traffic Police have busted a gang of vehicle dealers using bogus Trade Certificate (TC) number (a temporary number) MH-03-TC-337 and selling up to 330 two-wheelers illegally across the eastern suburbs from January 2016. The number was officially issued to Hindustan Co-operative Bank Ltd, Mulund by the Wadala RTO, investigation revealed.

On February 16, a woman riding a Hero Pleasure bike bearing no MH-03-TC-337 was stopped by the traffic police for entering a No Entry zone at Derasar lane in Ghatkopar East. When the cops checked the e-challans issued against the number, they found a whopping Rs 1,24,700 as pending dues. When probed, the rider revealed that she had bought the bike only eight days ago from Archana Motors, Vikhroli East by paying Rs 67,000 and she had not violated any traffic rules yet.

"Her vehicle was seizedfor further inquiry and it was found that Mahadev Kanekar, owner of Archana Motors, had used bogus TC No MH-03-TC-337 to sell the vehicle," a traffic police officer said, adding 330 such two-wheelers were sold since January 2016, by Kanekar and some other two-wheeler dealers in the eastern suburbs. "The huge fine amount was thus a result of different bikes bearing the same TC number being fined at distinct locations," said DCP (traffic) Shahji Umap.

According to the traffic police, TC No MH-03-TC-337 is issued by the Regional Traffic Office, Wadala to a co-operative Bank in Mulund but it has been used in a fraudulent way by Archana Motors and other dealers. How these bikes were procured is still being investigated.

Joint CP (traffic) Amitesh Kumar said, "A case has been registered by Pant Nagar police station under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 466 (forgery of record of court or of public register), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 470 (forging documents), 471 (using forged documents as genuine) and 34 (common intention), along with other sections of the Motor Vehicle Act," Kumar said.

'Check documents'

RTO officials said vehicle buyers must verify the TC number with the dealer while purchasing a vehicle. "There is no option to check the TC number online as it is only issued to dealers following due procedure. But customers must verify all RTO documents at the vehicle showroom to ensure the validity of their TC numbers," an RTO officer said.

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