Kollam, October 1 – A Vigilance Court in Kollam sentenced a former Regional Transport Office (RTO) agent to 28 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh for forging driving licences.
Judge Dr Mohit C S found 47‑year‑old Muhammed Shafeeq A, a native of Adoor in Pathanamthitta, guilty of creating and issuing fake licences and documents without following prescribed legal procedures. The six‑year jail term applies under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code, with the sentences running concurrently.
The offenses date from 2008‑09, when the Pathanamthitta RTO, Shafeeq and a second agent allegedly accepted money from applicants seeking new licences, addition of Light Motor Vehicle and Heavy Passenger Vehicle categories, badges and address changes. The RTO was accused of issuing licences without conducting driving tests or other mandatory procedures and of forging documents to facilitate the process.
The Vigilance registered the case after the RTO allegedly issued licences without proper procedures. The former RTO, the first accused, died during the trial, while the third accused, another agent, died during the investigation. Public Prosecutors Divya P S and Siju Rajan represented the Vigilance, and former Deputy Superintendent of Police M H Latheef of the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Special Investigation Unit‑I led the investigation.
