Many people say that “India is a country of irony,” and we see this being proven right almost every day. Recently, a video went viral online in which something totally unexpected took place. What happened was that a man who was recently fined for an expired PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate caught the exact RTO patrol vehicle that fined him for having an expired PUC certificate. In the clip, he was seen confronting the officers and asking them to pay a fine for this violation.
This video, showing the surprising action of a common man asking RTO officials for a PUC certificate, has been shared on YouTube by Transport V Plus on their channel. It starts off with a man driving a car behind an RTO-patrolling Mahindra Bolero and a Bolero pickup truck. He explains that recently, the same RTO vehicle and the officials sitting in it fined him Rs 2,700 for having an expired PUC certificate.
He then mentions that the Mahindra Bolero they are driving also has an expired PUC certificate. The man adds that its certificate expired a year ago and they should also fine their own vehicle as well. Following this, the video shows the man following the vehicle for a while on the twisty mountain road.
After some time, the RTO-patrolling Mahindra Bolero slowed down, and during this, the man overtook their car and then stopped them. He then started talking with the officials and reminded them that they fined him for an expired PUC certificate. He further added that they should now show the pollution certificate of the vehicle they are driving.
Hearing the claim of this man, the RTO officials were seen shrugging him off. They can be heard stating that he cannot ask them for their paperwork as he does not have the authority. However, he continued saying that they should first fine their own vehicles and then fine other vehicles on the road. We can then note that the officials drove away, meanwhile, the man told them that he would be catching them ahead with more people.
Many people who might see this video will think that there is nothing wrong with a citizen asking officials about their own invalid pollution certificate. However, it must be noted that this is not legal. Citizens do not have the right to stop government officials and ask them for the papers of their vehicles. The authorities can take action against such citizens, as obstruction of an official during duty is illegal.
Only authorized personnel, including traffic police, RTO inspectors, and enforcement squads, have the legal right to stop vehicles and demand documents. Law everywhere works on reporting and accountability through proper channels, not through direct confrontation. That is why enforcement agencies are given specific powers and ordinary citizens are not.
If a person is sure that they have proof against officials committing violations, they can take photos or videos as evidence and submit a written complaint to the appropriate department. In this case, the man should have written a complaint to the Transport Department or Traffic Police HQ with the vehicle number and details.
Also, many states and the central government’s Parivahan portal now allow online complaints for RTO/police vehicles violating rules. Lastly, a complainant can file an RTI for the same as well, which will then force the department to reveal records and increase accountability.