Automobile Desk – People often avoid the e-challan issued for violating traffic rules while driving on the road, considering it to be light. Most of the drivers have this misconception that in a few months or years, the record of pending challan will automatically be removed from the system. The reality is exactly the opposite. Non-payment of challan does not go away with time, but turns into a serious legal and administrative problem.
When a challan is issued for a vehicle, it is directly linked to the vehicle's registration number and the owner's driving license. In case of non-payment of fine within the stipulated time, the traffic department transfers the concerned case to the Traffic Magistrate Court (Virtual or Physical Court). After this, a legal summons to appear in the court is sent to the registered address or mobile number of the vehicle owner. If the driver does not appear in the court even after receiving the notice or does not file a petition to extend the hearing date, then the court can take ex-parte action and issue a punitive order.
If the challan is pending for a long time, many important services related to the vehicle and its documents may come to a standstill. The transport department's central database 'blacklists' or 'flags' such vehicles. This has a direct impact on the daily paperwork of vehicles:
Disruption in RC and NOC: Renewal of vehicle's RC (Registration Certificate), change of address or obtaining NOC for another state becomes impossible.
Driving license at risk: In cases of serious violations like dangerous driving, overspeeding or drunk driving, the court may recommend suspension or permanent cancellation of the license.
Seizure of vehicle on the road: During checking, if the history of huge pending challans is seen on the police officer's device, then the vehicle can be seized on the spot.
Outstanding challans also become a big hurdle while selling an old car. Any new buyer or used car platform (like Cars24, Spinny etc.) must check the record of pending challan on the 'Vahan' portal before finalizing the deal of the car.
On receiving the outstanding amount, either the buyer demands a huge reduction in the price of the vehicle or cancels the deal. Apart from this, many insurance companies have also started taking the traffic record of the vehicle into consideration at the time of claim settlement or policy renewal.
To avoid such legal complications, you should keep checking the status of your vehicle from time to time by visiting the official e-challan website of the Transport Department or 'm-Parivahan' app. If the challan is of simple level, it can be filled instantly online. Whereas if the case has been transferred to virtual court or regular court, then the case should be closed immediately by depositing the prescribed fine or completing the court process as per the instructions given on the portal.