Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government is taking action against the luxury vehicle registration scam that involved crores of rupees. Deputy CM and Transport Minister Mukesh Agnihotri has ordered the department to register criminal cases against the owners of 1,800 high-end vehicles, priced between Rs 1 and 6 crore, that were fraudulently registered by agents in connivance with government employees.
The agents used fake documents, including bills, rent agreements, and permanent addresses, to register the vehicles at lower prices, causing a loss of crores of rupees to the state’s revenue. The owners of these luxury vehicles will also face criminal charges along with the officers and employees who helped them register the vehicles.
The vehicle registration scam came to light in April 2021 in Indora, Kangra district, and later disturbances were reported in six cities including Palampur and Nurpur. Many IAS and HAS officers are also under investigation for their alleged involvement in the scam. Earlier, a fine of Rs one lakh each was imposed on the owners of these luxury vehicles, and the registration certificates (RCs) of all these vehicles were cancelled.
The criminal cases against the accused will mark a significant step in the investigation of the vehicle registration scam that caused a huge loss to the state’s revenue.
