Chief Judicial Magistrate asks police to probe vehicle-release ‘scam’

Chandigarh, May 26

Three years after an alleged vehicle-release scam surfaced at the District Courts here, Dr Aman Inder Singh, Chief Judicial Magistrate, has directed the Chandigarh Police to investigate a complaint filed by Vikas Biswal, a resident of Panchkula.

FIR filed against court employee

The police have registered an FIR against Vishal, Ahlmad of the court, under Section 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC. The FIR says Vishal allegedly prepared fake and forged vehicle release order of the court without giving any payment receipt to applicant Vikas.

Biswal recently filed the complaint before the JMIC Court of Renu Goyal. In the complaint, he said during the night of November 20, 2019, he was challaned for drunken driving. The next day he went to the District Courts, Chandigarh, where he met an advocate. The advocate introduced him to an employee (Ahlmad), Vishal, who asked him to pay Rs 10,000. He handed over the challan slip to the Ahlmad. After two hours, the employee called him up and gave him the vehicle release order. He got his vehicle released from the Traffic Lines, alleged Biswal.

He said about three months ago when he planned to transfer his car on his cousin’s name, he came to know that the challan for drunken driving in 2019 was still pending. When he visited the Traffic Lines, he was told to go to the court.

When he enquired about the matter from the court record room, it was revealed that Rs 10,000 had not been deposited with the government treasury that is why the online challan was showing as pending.

When he confronted the employee, the latter asked him to check the record.

On his complaint, the JMIC Court made a reference to the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Aman Inder Singh. The CJM forwarded the reference to the police station concerned for investigating the matter.

The alleged scam came to light in February 2020, which prompted the High Court (administration) to mark an inquiry to the District and Sessions Judge, who further marked a probe to an Additional Sessions Judge.

There were complaints that vehicles impounded were allegedly released by “forging” the signatures of judicial officers of the Chandigarh District Courts in November 2019.