Pune Traffic: Fines Paid in Lok Adalat Still Appear in Police App, Pune Drivers Face System Glitch

Mismatch Between Court Payments and Police Records Leaves Motorists Chasing Clarifications
Fines Paid in Lok Adalat Still Appear in Police App
Fines Paid in Lok Adalat Still Appear in Police AppThe Bridge Chronicle
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Pune, 20 July 2025: Several vehicle owners who paid traffic fines through Lok Adalat in Pune are facing a troubling situation. Despite settling their penalties legally via the court process, the fines continue to reflect as unpaid in the traffic police’s mobile app system. This discrepancy has led to confusion and harassment during routine traffic checks.

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The issue stems from a lack of coordination between court officials who collect the fines and the traffic police department responsible for updating those payments in their digital records. One such Lok Adalat was held on September 9, 2023, at the Yerawada traffic division. Around ₹44.5 lakh was collected in compromise fines from motorists during the event, which was then deposited in the government treasury.

However, weeks later, a motorist who had cleared his dues through the Lok Adalat was stopped at a checkpoint, only to find that the police app still showed the original penalty as unpaid. This prompted activist Prashant Bholagir to file a Right to Information (RTI) request with the Shivajinagar court.

He sought vehicle-wise details of how much fine was waived and which vehicles had cleared their dues. Surprisingly, the response from the court only stated the total amount collected and claimed that no record was maintained of individual vehicle numbers or their receipts.

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Due to the lack of transparency, Bholagir has now approached the State Information Commission for further redressal. According to police sources, when a citizen pays through court, the list of vehicle numbers and payment orders is supposed to be sent to the traffic branch, where the digital records are expected to be updated accordingly. But lapses in this process are resulting in penalties remaining in the system, affecting motorists.

A senior government official, requesting anonymity, shared his own experience. He had a ₹6,000 fine, which he settled at the Lok Adalat by paying ₹3,000. Yet, during a later checkpoint stop, the police app still showed the full ₹6,000 due. He had to revisit the court to get the matter resolved.

After several similar complaints, it was found that the fines were not being removed from the app until affected motorists presented receipts or followed up directly with court officials or traffic police. At least four such incidents were recently addressed after repeated follow-ups.

Pune's Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Himmat Jadhav, advised that once a citizen pays the compromised fine in court, they should either present the receipt to the traffic police in person or send it to dcptraffic.pune@nic.in. Upon verification, the fine amount will be removed from the police app system.

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Some citizens have expressed frustration over this lack of recordkeeping. For instance, a driver named Manoj Kalokhe shared that he paid ₹6,000 against a ₹12,000 fine at the Yerawada Lok Adalat. However, no receipt was given, only a form was filled. When he later checked at the Motor Vehicles Court, the system showed no payment against his vehicle number.

Activist Prashant Bholagir has criticized the absence of proper records and accountability, stating that even after paying, the police system doesn’t update. He now plans to approach Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the law department to take up the issue.

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