Following suspension of 18 RTO officials allegedly involved in the fraudulent registration of 642 imported superbikes,the Bombay High Court on Thursday sought a fresh report from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. The court had taken suo-motu notice based on a newspaper report regarding the multi-crore bogus registration scam and had ordered action against the errant officials. The report in the Marathi daily Lokmat said that the racketeers import spareparts of foreign-made super bikes/sport bikes and sell the bikes after assembling them in India,thereby evading customs duty. On Thursday,the court was informed that three of the suspended officers had moved the Supreme Court and secured a stay on their suspensions. Advocate General Ravi Kadam submitted that the rest of the officials had approached the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal that granted interim relief against the suspension. Meanwhile,senior counsel Aspi Chinoy,who has been appointed amicus curie (friend of court) in the case,said that this development would not affect the current proceedings. The court has now sought a fresh report within four weeks. In August,the court had asked the principal secretary of transport department to take action against three officers attached to the Regional Transport Office who have been allegedly involved in the scam. Transport secretarys report on this affair indicted three RTO officers: A R Shaikh,E G Khandale and Bajrang Kharmate. The division bench consisting of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice A M Khanwilkar had expressed surprise that even after newspaper publicity no action was taken. Kadam had informed that a CID inquiry into the case was already underway. Court had then sought a report of the inquiry,as well as reports prepared by transport commissioner,transport secretary and department of revenue intelligence.
