3 months after auto driver killed himself, traffic dept issues ₹20,000 fine

On June 19, the driver of the autorickshaw had been challaned for various traffic violations and an SMS was sent to the original owner, Navin Anand’s number.

Twenty-eight- year-old autorickshaw driver Navin Anand had killed himself in March this year. His family never took the vehicle out again and parked it in their home in Ghaziabad’s Vijay Nagar. On June 19, however, they received an SMS alert saying that the traffic police had slapped a fine of ₹20,250 for different traffic violations.

Navin Anand’s auto rickshaw has been parked in his home since his death in March this year. (HT PHoto)

“We were shocked,” said 33-year-old Rajiv Anand, Navin’s brother. “The vehicle was parked at our house ever since my brother died on March 8.”

On June 19, the driver of the autorickshaw had been challaned for failing to produce registration certificate, permits, tax receipts, pollution certificate, insurance certificate, driving licenses and fitness certificate of the vehicle.

The family approached the regional transport department to check whether there had been some sort of mistake.

“The officials told that the challan was correct as the auto was found with different violations. I requested and they also gave us the photograph of the driver clicked at the time of issuing the challan,” said Rajiv. “We showed the photograph to 200-250 auto drivers. One of them at Ghaziabad railway station told us that he knew the driver seen in the photograph.”

The photograph turned out to be of a man named 32-year-old Kishan Kumar, a resident of Vijay Nagar, and had allegedly stolen the number plate when Navin’s family had sent the vehicle for repairs in April.

“We handed over the suspect to the police,” said Rajiv.

Based on Rajiv’s complaint, police registered an FIR under IPC sections 379, 411 and 482 against Kishan and his accomplice 30-year-old Surendra Kumar.

“Surendra was running a roadside parking lot and an auto was parked in his parking lot for past several months. He sold it to Kishan who drove it with fake number plate. Both were arrested and were sent to jail for the offence,” said Shyamvir Singh, SHO of Vijay Nagar station.

“We found the erring auto and the driver on road and issued challan for various offences as the driver could not produce any documents. The family had spoken to us and we told them that the challan was valid and they should find out the erring driver and his vehicle on their own or through the police. The challan of ₹20,250 is valid and stands as on date. The family told us that they found the erring driver. If the family comes to us with FIR and other documents, we can consider their case if the norms allow,” said PS Rai, additional regional transport officer (enforcement). Navin’s death is being investigated by police. Several people had been booked for abetment in the case.