Kerala auto driver dies by suicide over vehicle fitness certificate; claims MVD 'solely' responsible

An autorickshaw driver in Kerala's Malappuram died by suicide after being denied a fitness certificate for his vehicle by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD), leaving behind a lengthy suicide note describing his ordeal.

The man, identified as Shoukath Mundamparamb (also known as Shoukath Ali) from Kizhissery, had been working as an auto driver for the past four years, and has raised serious allegations against the MVD, saying that it was "solely" responsible for his death.

The 35-year-old alleged that MVD officials had withheld a fitness certificate for his auto because over the past 10 months, because he had approached them directly, instead of using an agent.

"Now, I am left with no other options. All my EMI payments have defaulted, and my credit score has plummeted from 820 to 600," he wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday before dying by suicide.

After seeing the post, his friends phoned the police and rushed to his house, where he was found hanging, the police said.

Notably, Shoukath had alleged in an earlier post that after purchasing the auto about five years ago, he had given it to the Kondotty Sub Regional Transport Office via an agent itself, at which time he was asked to pay ₹2,000 as a bribe to the agent to get the fitness certificate after inspection, which he did.

"If (I paid) ₹4,000, he would give the certificate without showing the vehicle. I made a deal for Rs. 2,000 and showed the vehicle," he wrote.

However, just two years later, he explained that he approached the RTO directly (without an agent), which is when his vehicles were scrutinised carefully and a fitness certificate withheld.

In the months that followed, Shoukath alleged that he was made to go back and forth multiple times for the certificate, but was reportedly denied for various reasons, such as paint work and steel fittings.

In the meantime, he even tried approaching multiple agents to try getting his vehicle's fitness certificate, but was rejected by all of them, allegedly because he "had applied directly first".

"By sacrificing my own life, I urge you to fight against corruption," he added in his suicide note on Facebook, urging that the state home affairs minister, Ramesh Chennithala, and Kerala High Court look into the matter.

The police have registered a case of unnatural death and started an investigation. The body will be handed over to his family after postmortem.

Transport Minister C.P. John has sought a report on the allegations raised by Shoukat against the Kondotty Sub Regional Transport Office.

(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8AM to 10 PM.)