Ex-Navy man behind bars

With the arrest of a former Indian Navy man, Delhi Police on Saturday claimed to have busted a racket of preparing forged national permits and fitness certificates of commercial vehicles.

Harvinder Khurana, 44, of Apna Enclave in Gurgaon is accused of having prepared about 100 fake documents while working as a tout at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, Punjabi Bagh Transport Centre and Gurgaon Transport Authority.

A national permit of commercial vehicle is issued for a year and costs about Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 depending on the capacity of the vehicle. “Harvinder has confessed that on many occasions he gave forged national permits and fitness certificates to clients on the pretext of genuine and charged full fees,” said Sanjay Kumar Jain, deputy commissioner of police (crime and railways).

He was nabbed on Thursday near Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar after a tip-off. Police have also seized government rubber stamps pertaining to Gurgaon RTO, forged national permit with nationalised bank challan, blank fitness papers and holograms used on national permit from his possession.

Harvinder told police that his maternal uncle Kailash works as a tout at Gurgaon Transport Authority and earns well, which inspired  him. “He learnt details of touting from his uncle while working with him for a few years. In 2004, he started working independently,” Jain added.

Harvinder said he initially took small jobs — helping clients in obtaining licenses and getting vehicles transferred or registered — and then started dealing in commercial vehicles, as it provided more commission.

Soon he started preparing fake national permits and fitness certificates on clients’ demand as much less than genuine permit they cost.

“He then started making forged documents which appeared to be genuine,” Jain said.