Mumbai: The Maharashtra transport department has ordered verification of 5,664 vehicles valued at more than Rs 50 lakh each after finding that they were sold by dealers in the state during 2025-26 but registered outside Maharashtra. The department suspects that some of these vehicles may be regularly used on Maharashtra roads, raising questions over possible loss of motor vehicle tax revenue. Transport Commissioner Rajesh Narwekar has directed officials to examine the registration documents, owners' addresses and reasons for registering the vehicles in other states. Meetings of the concerned RTOs will also be held to review the cases and coordinate the verification.
The vehicles include sports and luxury cars, as well as cranes, trucks and excavators. According to RTO officials, a large number were registered in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, where comparatively lower taxes may have encouraged out-of-state registration. Officials also pointed to a change in the tax structure for cranes and excavators. While tax was earlier calculated according to weight, it is now based on the vehicle's value, making registration in neighbouring states such as Gujarat potentially more attractive. The department, however, has not yet established that the vehicles were registered illegally or that tax was deliberately evaded.
Revenue at stake
The 5,664 vehicles were valued between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 3 crore. If each is taken at the minimum value of Rs 50 lakh, their combined value would be Rs 28,320 crore. Based on an estimated 3% tax, around Rs 849.6 crore may have been paid outside Maharashtra. The transport department estimates that if the vehicles had been registered in the state, the potential revenue could have been Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 3,000 crore. These are preliminary estimates, and the actual revenue impact will depend on the findings of the verification.
The department has appointed three to four senior motor vehicle inspectors in the concerned RTO jurisdictions to examine the vehicles sold by dealers and verify the addresses of their owners. Officials will check whether the address proofs submitted for CRTeM (Certificate of Registration of Temporary Registration) complied with Rule 4 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989. A CRTeM is a temporary registration certificate issued by an RTO before a vehicle receives its permanent registration. The nine RTOs that issued these certificates have been directed to provide the relevant documents to the appointed inspectors. The concerned RTOs will also hold meetings to review the cases, share information and ensure that the verification is carried out in a coordinated manner.
If irregularities are found in the address proofs or other documents, the inspectors have been asked to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report within 15 days. The verification will also examine where the vehicles are actually being used and why they were registered outside Maharashtra.
RTO-wise CRTeM certificates issued: Thane 1,272; Pimpri-Chinchwad 1,061; Wadala 754; Navi Mumbai 617; Panvel 571; Nagpur (City and Rural) 387; Andheri 280; Pune 146; and Tardeo 131.
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