A Ludhiana resident's car has become the centre of a bizarre digital mystery, clocking up toll charges on expressways it never travelled on. Gurpreet Singh, a 41-year-old electronics repairman, found his FASTag account debited for two separate toll plaza crossings while he was physically at home, sparking a frustrating battle for accountability and raising serious questions about the system's vulnerabilities.
The Bizarre Timeline of Unauthorised Deductions
The strange incident began when Gurpreet Singh, who lives in Jethi Nagar, received an unexpected notification. On Sunday evening, Rs 150 was deducted from his FASTag account for a passage through the Kiranj toll plaza. At that exact time, Singh was at home with his family, offering condolences. The mystery deepened just 48 hours later. On Tuesday evening, another Rs 95 was taken for the Hilalpur Toll Plaza. This time, he was engaged in a conversation with his wife at his residence.
"I was shocked and surprised," said Singh, highlighting the improbability of the events. "One deduction could perhaps be dismissed as a technical error, but two separate charges from two different plazas on different days? This is impossible." He clarified that he had not driven through any toll plaza since a trip to Manali in 2023 and had not travelled towards Delhi—the general direction of these plazas—since 2019.
A Proactive Fight for Answers and Security
Refusing to accept the unexplained deductions, Gurpreet Singh has launched a multi-pronged effort to seek answers and secure his vehicle's identity. His primary concern is that his vehicle's registration number may have been cloned or spoofed by another car illegally using the toll lanes.
He has taken the following steps:
- Filed an official complaint via the NHAI's 1033 helpline, which remains active and unresolved.
- Approached his FASTag issuing bank to report the unauthorised debits and is currently awaiting their response regarding a refund.
- Sought police consultation, planning to meet with the Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to formally document the issue and his fears of number plate spoofing.
Broader Concerns Over FASTag System Glitches
This incident is not an isolated case but highlights a growing concern among Indian motorists regarding technical glitches and potential security flaws in the National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI) automated toll collection system. Such "phantom" charges erode public trust in a system designed for convenience and efficiency.
The case underscores the need for:
- Robust grievance redressal mechanisms from banks and NHAI that are responsive and timely.
- Enhanced cybersecurity measures to prevent vehicle identity theft or cloning at toll plazas.
- Transparent investigation processes to trace the origin of such fraudulent transactions and protect consumers.
As Gurpreet Singh awaits answers from silent authorities, his ordeal serves as a cautionary tale for millions of FASTag users across India, prompting them to vigilantly monitor their transaction alerts for any such unexplained activity.
