Uttar Pradesh- Officer suspended for issuing allegedly fraudulent vehicle fitness certificates

The Transport Department of Uttar Pradesh is taking strict measures to ensure transparency, technical verification and public safety in the issuance of “Fitness Certificates” for vehicles. Based on complaints and investigation reports, Ajeet Singh, Motor Vehicle Inspector (RI), posted at the RTO Office, Kanpur Nagar, has been suspended with immediate effect.

The suspension has been ordered on the basis of the following serious findings:

1. Vehicle No. UP78EM1272 (Omni Van) was seized in Hamirpur at 10:45 AM on 04.06.2025 by the ARTO, and yet, on the same afternoon, RI Ajeet Singh certified its fitness from Kanpur, which is technically and procedurally impossible.
2. It is also evident from the VAHAN portal that part payment of the fitness fee was made in the afternoon of 04 June itself, which confirms that the inspection was not predated.
3. Additionally, a similar complaint from Auraiya district was previously reported against RI Ajeet Singh, where a vehicle seized in Auraiya was shown to be inspected and granted fitness in Kanpur at the same time.
4. Recently, in the tragic bus fire incident in Lucknow, which resulted in five fatalities, it was found that the bus had been granted a fitness certificate under the “Anywhere Fitness” system without a proper physical inspection. In that case as well, the concerned officer was suspended.

In light of these incidents, the Transport Department had conducted a statewide web meeting where all officers were clearly instructed that no fitness certificate must be issued without the physical presence of the vehicle. Despite this, RI Ajeet Singh repeated the violation, which demonstrates disregard for departmental instructions and dereliction of duty.
In addition to the present disciplinary action, Shikhar Ojha, Regional Transport Officer, Varanasi, has been appointed as the Inquiry Officer to conduct a detailed departmental investigation into this matter.

Furthermore, a state-level committee chaired by Sanjay Singh, Additional Transport Commissioner (Enforcement), Uttar Pradesh, is already reviewing all fitness certificates issued under the “Anywhere Fitness” system in the last one year. Based on the outcome, strict action will be taken against all responsible officials.

The Transport Department assures the public that no officer or employee compromising public safety will be spared and concrete reforms are being promptly implemented to prevent technical misuse under the Anywhere Fitness framework.