Hyderabad: P. Anjaneyulu, a 40-year-old school teacher staying at Mehdipatnam, was shocked to see the police knocking at his door to arrest him in connection with a chain snatching incident on a Sunday morning last April.
The police had just tracked down the chain snatcher's bike's registration number and had reached his house. But, what the police did not know was that it was not Anjaneyulu who drove the bike. It was another person who had bought Anjaneyulu's bike three years ago.
Though the deal was over, like most vehicle owners Anjaneyulu had not done anything to get the vehicle transferred to the buyer's name.
People selling vehicles to others without transferring ownership has become a dangerous trend.
Police says that very often while tracking down the bikes of chain snatchers they often end up with innocent former owners and not the real criminal. Such vehicles can also be misused by terrorists, police said.
Traffic cops said that lakhs of challans are pending since the challan goes to previous owner’s address while vehicles are being used by the third or fourth owner. As per rules vehicles without transferred ownership can be confiscated.
According to the Indian Motor Vehicle (IMV) Act, Section 50, the transferor has to intimate the Regional Transport Office (RTO) within 14 days of transfer of ownership. Similarly the Act also asks the transferee to inform the RTO about the change in vehicle ownership and produce the required documents within 30 days of the transfer.
Traffic police officials said it has become regular for them to come across vehicle owners saying that they have received challans for traffic violations but the vehicle does not belong to them.
“We have no option but to seize the vehicle after multiple violations to catch the real owner of the vehicle. But till then the owner who has the name in the RC book would receive notices and he/she would be held responsible if the vehicle is involved in a major incident,” a senior police officer of the Traffic Management Centre said.
