Pune: Maharashtra RTO Fitness Certificate Scam Unearthed; Transport Minister Orders Strict Action Against Officials
Pune, 1st August 2026: A major irregularity in the issuance of vehicle fitness certificates at Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) across Maharashtra has come to light, with the state government ordering strict action against officials allegedly involved in violating established procedures.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has directed the Transport Commissioner to initiate immediate disciplinary action against the responsible officials and submit a detailed inquiry report to the state government at the earliest.
The action follows the findings of a committee constituted on March 5, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Joint Transport Commissioner to investigate the issuance of vehicle fitness certificates under Form 38A of the Motor Vehicles Act. The committee reportedly detected serious irregularities in nine major RTOs Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Panvel, Vashi, Thane, Andheri, Wadala, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
According to the Transport Department, the alleged violations involve the improper issuance of final vehicle fitness certificates under Form 38, despite mandatory procedural requirements. Under the rules, once Form 38A is issued, the original registering authority must issue the final fitness certificate within 15 days. However, investigators found several cases where certificates were issued beyond the prescribed time limit.
The inquiry also revealed that when Form 38A is issued by an authority in another state, only the vehicle’s original registering authority in Maharashtra is empowered to issue the final fitness certificate. Despite this, some RTO offices allegedly issued certificates without obtaining approval from the original registering authority, raising serious concerns over compliance with transport regulations.
Taking serious note of the findings, Minister Sarnaik said vehicle fitness certification is directly linked to the safety of commuters and road users. He warned that granting fitness certificates to unfit vehicles in violation of the law is a grave offence and stated that no official found guilty would be spared.
As directed during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra Legislature, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has already been constituted to probe the role of both serving and retired transport department officials in the alleged irregularities.
The Transport Department is expected to submit its detailed findings to the state government after the completion of the investigation, following which further disciplinary and legal action may be initiated against those found responsible.
