Mumbai: Fake Registration Scam Involving School Bus Busted In Mulund; RTO Seizes Vehicle Transporting Orchid School Students

Mumbai: In a major enforcement action, the Mumbai Regional Transport Office (RTO) has exposed a case of fake vehicle registration involving a school bus used to transport students of Orchid International School in Mulund (East). The RTO has seized the bus and registered a criminal case against the school management, bus dealer, and the driver at the Navghar police station.

According to the FIR, the complainant, Sanketkumar Harishchandra Chavan, 42, a Motor Vehicle Inspector posted at the Mumbai East RTO, Wadala, conducted the operation along with Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector Rajesh Satish Waghmare and driver Santosh Waghmare.

Details

On December 16, while on routine duty, the RTO flying squad reached the Fire Brigade area at Gavhanpada, Mulund East, around 2.15 pm in a government vehicle (MH-04-LT-6560). During the patrol, the team spotted a school bus belonging to Orchid International School, Mulund East, bearing registration number MH-04-LY-6018.

The bus, an Eicher 50-seater (Model: 2090 L SRL CWC BSVI), was checked using the RTO’s e-challan system. The records showed the registered owner as The Principal, Hanslaxmi Charitable Trust, Orchid The International School, located at Cosmos Arcade, Azad Nagar, Thane. The dealer was listed as The Agustya, Bangalore, with the chassis number MC2FCHRTORA538582, purchase date May 15, 2024, and registration date July 23, 2024.

However, upon physical inspection, the RTO officials found a different chassis number MC2FDLRT0PB520073 engraved near the rear left wheel of the bus. The presence of two different chassis numbers on the same vehicle immediately raised suspicion.

Further verification through the e-challan system revealed that the second chassis number belonged to The Institute of Learning and Education, Orchid The International School, CTS-13/15, Jogani Industrial Area, Nehru Nagar, Mumbai. In this record, the dealer was shown as VE Commercial Vehicle Ltd., Dapoda Village, Mankoli Naka, Bhiwandi, Thane, with a purchase date of October 13, 2023.

RTO officials then instructed the driver to drop the students safely at the school and bring the bus back onto the school premises. While the RTO team waited outside, they later entered the school at around 4 pm, only to find the bus parked inside the premises and the driver missing, having fled without providing any information. The school administration also failed to cooperate or provide details regarding the vehicle.

The RTO team subsequently seized the bus and shifted it to the Kurla Nehru Nagar bus depot for further legal action. An official challan (No. MH59971251216182602) was issued for operating an unregistered vehicle, and a detailed report was submitted to senior authorities. Acting on official instructions, Inspector Chavan lodged a formal complaint at the Navghar police station.

Based on the FIR, the accused allegedly cheated the Regional Transport Department and the government of a total amount of Rs8,66,421, which includes motor vehicle tax of Rs8,61,163, RTO inspection fee Rs800, registration fee Rs1,200, smart card fee Rs200, postal charges Rs58, and loan endorsement fee Rs3,000, during the period from October 13, 2023, to December 16, 2025.

The police have registered a case against the principal and directors of The Institute of Learning and Education (Orchid International School) Neharu Nagar, VE Commercial Vehicle Ltd. Bhiwandi, Thane, the director and principal of Orchid School, Mulund East, the bus driver, and other concerned individuals. 

Authorities have also alleged that the accused endangered the lives of school children by transporting them in a vehicle with fraudulent registration. Further investigation is underway.

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