Nearly 96,800 traffic e-challans issued to vehicle owners in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, remain unpaid to date. Issued between January 2025 and January 31, 2026, these cases have been pending in court for a long stretch and will now be taken up for resolution at a Lok Adalat scheduled for September 12. Vehicle owners have been given a window to register their cases ahead of the hearing, and around 3,000 owners have already done so. The registration deadline for everyone else is Thursday.
Non-Payment Could Freeze Key Vehicle Services
According to traffic police, owners who let e-challans pile up for too long risk running into trouble with essential services. RC renewal could get stuck, fitness and permit clearances for commercial vehicles could be held up, and services such as vehicle transfer, NOC issuance, RC amendments and hypothecation entries could all be affected. Driving licence renewals may run into similar roadblocks, disrupting everyday tasks for defaulting owners.
Summons, Virtual Court Cases And Seizures Loom
Owners who skip payment could be issued a summons, with their case forwarded to a virtual court. If a vehicle with a long-pending challan is caught during a road check, police can detain or even seize it on the spot.
Helmet Challans Issued Despite Raincoats In The Rain
Some vehicle owners have raised unusual complaints with traffic police. In one case, a rider was challaned for not wearing a helmet even though they were wearing a raincoat while riding in the rain. In other instances, bikes were wrongly challaned as mopeds. Owners with such grievances can file an application at the Kalibadi traffic office, and challans found to be incorrect after verification will be cancelled.
Pending Challans Cross 1.25 Lakh In The City
The backlog isn't limited to last year's violations alone. More than 30,000 additional challans issued in just the first eight months of this year are also pending, pushing the total number of outstanding e-challans in Raipur past 1.25 lakh. Traffic police have been sending repeated reminders and messages to vehicle owners, but a large number are still not clearing their dues.
One Bike Alone Owes Rs 55,000, Seizures Planned
Police say the number of repeat offenders keeps rising. In one striking case, a single bike has challans worth Rs 55,000 pending against it. Traffic police are now preparing a separate list of such repeat-violation vehicles and plan to move ahead with seizure action against them in the coming days.
