₹50,000 MVD fine sparks fresh row, Aranmula MLA backs car owner
A controversy has emerged in Kerala after the Motor Vehicles Department fined a car owner ₹50,000 for modifications made to a vehicle used in flood rescue operations. Local MLA Abin Varkey has publicly supported the owner, arguing that the enforcement was inappropriate during a natural disaster.
Why it matters
The case raises questions about the balance between strict regulatory enforcement and humanitarian efforts during emergencies.
The controversy over a modified off-road vehicle used in flood rescue operations in Aranmula in Pathanamthitta refuses to die down, with local legislator Abin Varkey on Sunday throwing his weight behind the vehicle owner after the Motor Vehicles department (MVD) revised the penalty on the car to ₹50,000.
The car, owned by Amal Vidwan of Kulanada, had earlier been fined ₹5,250 by MVD officials in Adoor. The penalty was subsequently revised after the Kerala High Court examined the Transport Commissioner’s report on the vehicle and found six additional lights and tyres projecting laterally beyond the vehicle’s body.
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