The Solan police have arrested Sahun Khan, a resident of Nuh in Haryana, for his involvement in a vehicle registration fraud that exploited the VAHAN portal. The arrest, made on June 30, marks the eighth in the case that came to light in February this year. Superintendent of Police, Solan, Sai Dattatreya Varma confirmed that seven persons had been arrested earlier, and Khan was apprehended after examination of technical evidence.
Modus Operandi of the Fraud
Khan, aged 40, prepared a fake email ID on which one-time passwords (OTPs) were received. These OTPs were then provided to the main accused, Gaurav Bhardwaj, who was responsible for registering vehicles using forged identities. The police investigation revealed that Khan was also engaged in buying and selling vehicles and actively assisted Bhardwaj in the fraudulent registration work. Khan was produced before the court on July 1, which remanded him to police custody for three days, and later to judicial custody. His previous criminal record is under scrutiny.
Complaint and Initial Investigation
The case originated from a complaint filed by Dr Poonam Bansal, an official of the Regional Licensing Authority, Solan, on January 26. The complaint alleged systematic and grave irregularities in the registration of commercial vehicles bearing registration numbers HP-14D-4512, HP-14D-4582, and HP-14D-4586. These irregularities included modification of laden weights and transfer of ownership without proper authorization. Additionally, suspicious activities on the VAHAN portal were detected, allegedly carried out by registration clerk Jitendra Thakur, who misused multiple user IDs and mobile phone numbers.
Police Action and SIT Formation
The police registered an FIR on January 26 under charges of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted, led by DSP Ashok Chauhan, to probe the matter. During the investigation, technical evidence revealed that the registration of the three vehicles was done without adhering to statutory procedures. Mandatory inspection by a Motor Vehicle Inspector was not conducted, and documentation was found to be incomplete. Unauthorized alterations were systematically made to vehicle registration data, ownership details, and other technical entries on the VAHAN portal.
Arrests and Ongoing Probe
Prior to Khan's arrest, the Solan police had arrested six agents who facilitated unauthorized vehicle registrations in exchange for money. The police are now examining the role of other individuals involved in this organized network by scrutinizing financial transactions and other technical and documentary evidence. The investigation continues to uncover the full extent of the fraud.
