Man Uses Same Registration on Identical Jeep Compass SUVs, Nabbed

The RTO has unearthed a scam wherein one Divyansh Bhandari bought two units of the Jeep Compass in Rajasthan and got only one of the two vehicles registered in Gujarat so that he can avoid paying road tax and other charges by using the same number on both his vehicles. The Ahmedabad RTO has filed a case with the Ranip Police against Bhandari. The complaint was registered by RTO Inspector Ashish Panchal.

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Panchal stated in the complaint that the RTO office has received a mail that says Divyansh has two identical vehicles but only one of them is registered to the Ahmedabad RTO. The e-mail stated: “Sir, I want to report illegal activity or fraud being done by Bhandari.” The complainant provided the chassis number of both vehicles and stated that Bhandari was using the same number plate for both of them, causing a loss of around Rs 1.5 lakh to the state exchequer. The person said, “Whenever Bhandari went out, he would just fix the number plate on the chosen vehicle.” The matter was then referred to BV Limbasiya, Regional Transport officer, Hyderabad, who has ordered an inquiry.

In his complaint, Panchal reported that he along with junior clerk Deepak Chaudhary went to the registered address on June 12, 2020, and found that Divyansh has vacated the premises and shifted to a new address. The RTO officials then contacted the showroom and procured the service history of the vehicle registered under GJ-01-HX-0311 and found that two separate vehicles had come to the workshop for service. Though the registration number stayed the same, the chassis number was different. The showroom manager stated that both vehicles have come at different times for the service.

The official spoke to Divyansh and got his address. With Assistant RTO officer Vinita Yadav a raid was conducted, which led to them finding another identical vehicle with a temporary number. Both vehicles were bought between 2019 and 2021. Upon checking the speedometer, it was revealed that the second vehicle has travelled 10,541 kilometres. The vehicle was in possession of one Gautam Bagrecha, who was detained by Yadav upon failure of procuring documents.

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The above two units of the Jeep Compass were bought in an identical shade of black and in the same high-end 'LIMITED' trim. Prices for the Jeep Compass currently range between Rs 16.99 lakh and Rs 28.29 lakh, ex-showroom. The SUV received a mid-life facelift recently that comes with a slightly redesigned exterior and the addition of new and updated features to the cabin. The Jeep Compass is offered with 2 powertrain options, a diesel and petrol. The 2-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel motor churns out peak power and torque figures of 170 and 350 Nm, respectively, and it can be ordered with either a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed auto, or a newer 9-speed auto transmission. The petrol engine option is that of a 1.4-litre 4-pot turbo unit that makes 161 PS and 250 Nm of peak power and torque, respectively. The motor comes paired with a 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic.