'Incredible India': EV car fined Rs 10,000 for violating pollution norms in Gurugram
The vehicle at the centre of this controversy is a white Tata Curvv EV. Being an all-electric SUV, it is legally exempt from needing a PUC certificate under India's Central Motor Vehicle Rules, as it produces no smoke.
1. The Bizarre Challan
In a baffling incident that has gone viral on social media platform X , the owner of a Tata Curvv EV, a car that runs entirely on electricity and has zero tailpipe emissions, was slapped with a massive Rs 10,000 fine by the Haryana Police for "violating air pollution standards" (failing to have a Pollution Under Control certificate).
2. The Whistleblower: Rattan Dhillon
The incident came to light when an X (formerly Twitter) user named Rattan Dhillon (@ShivrattanDhil1) posted a photo of the e-challan. He captioned the absurdity with "Incredible India indeed," pointing out the irony of demanding a pollution certificate from a vehicle that doesn't even have an exhaust pipe.
3. The Car in Question
The vehicle at the centre of this controversy is a white Tata Curvv EV. Being an all-electric SUV, it is legally exempt from needing a PUC certificate under India's Central Motor Vehicle Rules, as it produces no smoke.
4. The "Double Whammy" Fine
The challan wasn't just for pollution. The owner received a total penalty of Rs 12,000. While Rs 2,000 was for a speeding violation (which is valid), the remaining Rs 10,000 was specifically levied for the lack of a PUC certificate, shocking netizens who labeled it "daylight robbery".
5. Police "Auto-Pilot" Error?
Experts believe this was likely a glitch in the Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system. With strict GRAP-4 anti-pollution measures currently enforced in Delhi-NCR (imposing heavy fines on older fuel cars), the automated cameras likely flagged the EV by mistake without verifying its fuel type in the database.
6. Gurugram Police Reacts
After the post went viral and garnered millions of views, the official handle of the Gurugram Traffic Police stepped in for damage control. They replied to Dhillon’s post, requesting him to share his contact details via Direct Message (DM) to likely rectify the administrative blunder.
7. Not the First Time
Surprisingly, this isn't an isolated "Incredible India" moment. In 2022, an owner of an Ather electric scooter in Kerala was similarly fined Rs 250 for not producing a pollution certificate, proving that the automated traffic systems in India still struggle to differentiate between EVs and internal combustion engines.
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