Team Herald
PANJIM: As many as 95 vehicle owners, who obtained PUC Certificates from West Coast Garage and Industries, could be summoned by Panjim police for questioning after Transport Department exposed the alleged ‘well organised’ racket of forged certificates on Monday.
“The owners of 95 vehicles to whom certificate were issued will be summoned to record their statements. There could be more as our investigation progresses,” Panjim PI Siddhant Shirodkar told Herald.
A day after registering a FIR under Sections 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 419 (cheating by personating), 471 (using as genuine forged document), 473 (making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, police arrested staffer Manoj Shirvoikar who feigned ignorance about the alleged scam claiming he would sign on papers based on instructions from his boss. The owner of the agency is reportedly absconding even as the premises was searched and sealed on the second day on Tuesday.
Police have seized a machine which was used to check smoke/pollution of a vehicle, and interestingly it is allegedly not in a working condition.
Deputy Director (Transport) Prakash Azavedo had lodged a complaint with Panjim police that the proprietor of West Coast Garage and Industries issued forged PUC certificate to vehicle GA-03-G-1234 which was used by the advisory committee for PUC surprise check whereas Shirvoikar impersonated as Engineer/Incharge of PUC certificate endorsing the document as genuine.
