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Section 44: Production of vehicle at the time of registration

Motor Vehicles Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
Competent Court / Tribunal
Act 1988
Section 43 All 217 Sections of Motor Vehicles Act Section 45

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 44

Section 44 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 requires the physical production and mechanical inspection of the motor vehicle before the registering authority to verify engine and chassis integrity prior to the grant of registration.

  • Mandatory Physical Production: Section 44 mandates that the applicant for registration shall produce the motor vehicle before the registering authority or its designated inspecting authority to enable physical verification.
  • Chassis and Engine Number Verification: Obligates the inspecting officer to verify the physical chassis number, engine number, and vehicular specifications against Form 20 and Form 22 (manufacturer's certificate of roadworthiness).
  • Dealer-Point Digital Exemption (Modern Architecture): Under modern CMVR amendments, vehicles delivered by authorized dealers with electronic Form 22 and digital chassis verification can be exempted from physical RTO production.
Key Landmark Precedents:
  • Pradeep Kumar Biswas v. Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (2002) 5 SCC 111: Emphasized that statutory duties imposed on public authorities to verify vehicular and physical parameters are non-delegable regulatory functions ensuring public safety.
  • State of U.P. v. Ram Krishan AIR 1971 All 513: Held that physical production under Section 44 is an essential statutory safeguard to prevent stolen, tampered, or mechanically hazardous vehicles from being registered.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

In criminal cases involving vehicle theft, chassis number tampering, or illicit vehicle cloning, summon the RTO inspecting motor vehicle inspector (MVI) who signed the Section 44 inspection certificate. Discrepancies between the original pencil-tracing of the chassis number on Form 20 and the physical vehicle provide conclusive proof of fraudulent vehicle substitution.

Section 43 All 217 Sections of Motor Vehicles Act Section 45