Ludhiana: Issuing same registration number for two vehicles lands RTO in soup

The Ludhiana District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed the regional transport office here to pay a compensation of ₹7,500 to a Khanna man for issuing the same registration number for two vehicles.

Kuljit Singh, 47, a resident of Rahaun, Khanna, had filed a complaint against the RTO seeking a compensation of ₹5 lakh for mental as well as physical harassment.

Singh stated in his complaint that he had purchased his Mahindra & Mahindra Jeep from Delhi with its original registration number after obtaining requisite NOCs and applied for a new registration number at RTO in Ludhiana.

Accordingly, a registration certificate was issued to him on August 25, 2011, with validity up to December 17, 2020. However, when Singh later applied for a renewal/fitness certificate with the RTO, it was found that the same registration number as Singh’s jeep had been issued to one Rajesh Bansal on September 11, 2012.

Singh said that repeated visits to the registration authority’s office failed to yield the desired results and conduct of the RTO officials caused him mental agony.

The commission in its order said that issuing the same registration number to different persons clearly shows that RTO officials were negligent and casual in their approach while issuing an important document. It directed the RTO to consider the renewal of fitness/registration certificate of Kuljit’s vehicle within 20 days and pay a composite cost of ₹7,500 to him.