Mumbai’s transport department has expanded its crackdown on luxury cars allegedly registered in Union Territories to avoid Maharashtra’s motor vehicle tax, with 35 of 65 vehicles checked during a late-night drive in south Mumbai receiving challans.
The inspection was conducted by Tardeo Regional Transport Office officials at the Coastal Road and Bandra-Worli Sea Link toll plaza until late Saturday night. The vehicles were checked for compliance with the mandatory state motor vehicle tax, which applies when vehicles are used in Maharashtra.
Transport commissioner Rajesh Narvekar said notices would also be issued seeking cancellation of the licences of some vehicle dealers allegedly involved in the violations. The department has identified at least five such dealers in Mumbai, according to an official cited in the report.
The action follows an earlier drive by the Andheri RTO against high-end and imported vehicles registered in Union Territories such as Diu and Daman. Officials said several luxury cars had been registered outside Maharashtra using external address proofs, even though they were permanently being operated in Mumbai. The arrangement allegedly allowed owners to bypass local tax obligations.
In south Mumbai alone, 132 such high-end vehicles have been checked and penalised this year for non-payment of taxes, according to the transport department. The maximum tax liability can reportedly reach Rs 30 lakh. Owners caught in the drive will have to pay the pending tax as well as applicable penalties.
Deputy RTO Nikhil Salunkhe said on Saturday that the department had found multiple cases involving vehicles registered in other states, with Diu and Daman accounting for the largest number. The inspections are focused on whether vehicles registered outside Maharashtra are being used in the state on a permanent basis without regularising their tax and documentation status.
The Andheri RTO also inspected 55 luxury cars and issued formal tax assessment notices to 32 owners demanding lump-sum payments. Officials confiscated the associated vehicle documents, which will undergo mandatory re-verification at the RTO level.
The operation was led by deputy RTO Swapnil Mane with assistant RTO officers and Motor Vehicle Inspectors. The department said the enforcement action was aimed at recovering state revenue and preventing continued non-compliance.
“The primary objective remains strict enforcement, curbing tax evasion, and recovering rightful state revenue,” Narvekar said. He also directed motorists operating out-of-state luxury vehicles in Maharashtra to regularise their documents and pay the applicable taxes. Further checks and action against identified dealers are expected as the department continues the drive.
