Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jun 28: Three officials from the office of the deputy transport commissioner in Mangaluru have been suspended for allegedly altering vehicle registration details and undervaluing a high-end car to reduce tax liability, causing financial loss to the state exchequer.
Those suspended are central office assistant Saraswati, superintendent Rekha Naik, and first division assistant Neelappa K H, all working under the Mangaluru deputy transport commissioner’s office.
According to reports, a temporary registration for a Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 was initially issued by the Electronic City RTO office in Bengaluru on January 1, 2017, under the name of Nihal Ahmad, with an invoice value of Rs 1,96,95,000. However, on December 24, 2024, the vehicle's registration details were allegedly altered at the Mangaluru RTO office, falsely recording its sale value as Rs 32,15,000 — a significant undervaluation.
As a result of this alleged manipulation, a lower tax was collected, leading to revenue loss for the government. Disciplinary action has been taken based on the suspension order issued by transport commissioner Yogeesh A M.
Following their suspension, the lien of Neelappa K H’s post has been transferred to Shivamogga, Rekha Naik’s to Chikkamagaluru, and Saraswati’s to the Bengaluru (North) office.
The action was taken after the additional transport commissioner (administration), Bengaluru, visited the Mangaluru RTO and conducted an inspection regarding the temporary registration details of vehicle number KA20 MH0888. Based on the findings, a detailed report was submitted, prompting the current disciplinary measures.