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Maharashtra RTO Notices 335 Officials Over Fitness Certificate Irregularities
Maharashtra checked how some vehicles received fitness certificates.
The vehicles were registered in Maharashtra but inspected in other states.
An inquiry found five types of possible rule violations.
These included late paperwork and certificates issued by the wrong RTO.
Some vehicles also allegedly lacked required tracking or speed-limiting devices.
The department sent notices to 335 officials asking them to explain their actions.
Receiving a notice does not mean an official has been found guilty.
The rules for using Form 38A were later changed in May 2026.
The Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Department issued show-cause notices to 335 RTO officials.
The action followed a state inquiry into vehicle fitness certificates issued between January 2024 and March 2026.
The probe examined Maharashtra-registered vehicles inspected for fitness in other states.
Alleged irregularities included delayed Form 38 issuance, incorrect RTO processing, and missing safety devices.
The notices begin departmental proceedings but do not establish individual wrongdoing.
- Who
- The Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Department and 335 RTO officials, including MVIs, ARTOs, Deputy RTOs and RTOs.
- What
- Show-cause notices were issued over alleged irregularities in vehicle fitness certificate processing.
- Where
- The matter concerns Maharashtra-registered vehicles inspected in other states, with the inquiry data obtained from the National Informatics Centre in Pune.
- When
- The notices were issued in September 2026; the inquiry covered certificates issued from January 1, 2024, to March 5, 2026.
- Why
- A state inquiry identified alleged procedural violations involving Form 38, Form 38A, and required vehicle safety devices.
Departmental Concerns
Officials’ Context
Responsibility for processing certificates
Departmental Concerns
Transport officials said the out-of-state inspection facility, intended to help commercial vehicle owners, was allegedly misused in several cases.
Officials’ Context
An unnamed Motor Vehicle Inspector said authority generally rested with ARTOs and senior officers, although some RTOs delegated processing powers to MVIs.
Meaning of the notices
Departmental Concerns
The department initiated proceedings because the inquiry identified multiple categories of alleged irregularities.
Officials’ Context
The notices are part of the departmental process and do not by themselves prove that individual officials committed wrongdoing; some officials reportedly handled only one such case.
Key facts
- Officials notified
- 335
- Inquiry report date
- September 3, 2026
- Review period
- January 1, 2024, to March 5, 2026
- Legal provision
- Rule 62 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989
- Form 38 deadline
- The registering authority must issue Form 38 within 15 days of Form 38A when requirements are met.
- Alleged violations
- Delayed Form 38 issuance, processing by another RTO, and missing Vehicle Location Tracking Devices or Speed Limiting Devices.
- Form 38A status
- The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways removed Form 38A from the rules through a May 2026 notification.
Sources
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