'Who is Kottayam RTO?' Alert bus owner thwarts man’s bid to impersonate Joint RTO
Kottayam RTO was alerted to a man impersonating a Joint RTO at the Changanassery bus stand.
Kottayam RTO was alerted to a man impersonating a Joint RTO at the Changanassery bus stand.
Kottayam RTO was alerted to a man impersonating a Joint RTO at the Changanassery bus stand.
Changanassery: A man who relied on a confident voice and an official title to stage a quick swindle at the Changanassery bus stand saw his plan collapse when a single question cut through the act: “Who is the RTO in Kottayam?”
“Our Sebastian sir from Pallikkathode!” That answer was all it took. In that instant, the bus owner realised he was dealing with a fraud. The attempt to impersonate the Joint RTO and extract money from a private bus operator collapsed almost immediately.
The incident unfolded at Stand No. 1, where the private bus Chaithram was parked. A young man boarded the bus and introduced himself to the conductor as Sunil, the Joint RTO of Kottayam. He then asked the conductor to call the bus owner immediately. Dressed in trousers and a T-shirt, the man also had one hand encased in a plaster cast.
When the call was placed to Rahul Irumbukuzhiyil, the bus owner, the man spoke with practised familiarity. He claimed he had met with an accident and had no cash on hand, and said he would therefore collect ₹2,000 from the bus. Rahul, who was unaware of any Joint RTO by that name, grew cautious. The caller then attempted to reinforce his claim, stating that he had personally conducted the re-test of the same bus.
That was the first clear red flag. Fitness tests for buses are typically handled by a Motor Vehicle Inspector, not a Joint RTO. Suspicion deepened when the caller said his office was “near” the Collectorate. In reality, the Kottayam RTO office functions within the Collectorate complex itself. Sensing the deception, Rahul posed another question: “Who is the present RTO of Kottayam, sir?” The reply came without hesitation: “Sebastian sir!”
Rahul immediately countered that Kottayam had been without a permanent RTO for months and that the Pathanamthitta RTO was holding additional charge. Realising his cover was blown, the impostor hastily returned the phone to the conductor and slipped out of the bus. Although the conductor gave chase, the man managed to escape. As no money was lost in the incident, the bus owner has decided not to file a complaint.