NEW DELHI: The Cyber Cell of the Delhi Police has arrested an individual for impersonating a Regional Transport Office (RTO) officer to dupe multiple victims across states by threatening them with vehicle permit cancellations in a fraudulent online challan scam.
The police were informed about the fraud through a complaint registered at the Cyber Police Station Central Delhi. The accused has been identified as Ashish Sharma (38), resident of Shahkari Nagar, Chiranjeev Vihar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
According to the police, the case surfaced after a complaint was lodged by a victim who received a call from an individual claiming to be an RTO official from Ghaziabad.
The caller informed the victim of pending challans against his commercial vehicle and threatened that the vehicle permit would be revoked unless a fine of Rs 12,500 was paid immediately.
Alarmed by the threat, the victim transferred the amount online, only to realize he had been duped. An FIR under Sections 318(4)/319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered, and a special team led by Inspector Sandeep Panwar, under the supervision of ACP Operations Suresh Khunga, was tasked with investigating the matter. The team analysed bank transactions and call records, which revealed that the fraudulent payment had been made to a Fino Payment Bank account registered in Ashish Sharma’s name.
Sharma was traced and arrested in Ghaziabad after sustained technical surveillance. During interrogation, he confessed to having worked as a private agent at the RTO office in Ghaziabad, where he gained unauthorized access to old vehicle registration files stored in
open gallery areas.
Using data from old vehicle files and the E-Vahan app, he contacted owners while impersonating an RTO officer. He legitimised his identity using police logos and officer photos on Truecaller. Police recovered two phones and bank account kits from two banks.
Authorities believe more people may have been duped. Ghaziabad RTO officials may also be questioned over the suspected data leak.