ED launches investigation into two foreign entities over suspicious $1 million transfer

According to the Vehicle Ownership Ease Index for 2026, published by a consumer rights organization and the industry startup community, the process of transferring vehicle ownership can cost more than ten times the legally established fees.

Total expenses, including agent services, vary: in some areas of Bihar they reach 13,000–14,000 rupees, in Tamil Nadu—7,000–8,000 rupees, and in Uttar Pradesh—5,000–8,000 rupees.

This report, prepared by Consumer Voice and IndiaTech based on the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, transport policies of 15 states, and interviews with car dealers, RTO agents, and vehicle owners, demonstrated a significant gap between the reforms initiated by the Centre and the actual implementation of these reforms on the ground.

The study showed that the lowest total cost for vehicle re-registration, including agent fees, is observed in Kerala (500–2,400 rupees), followed by Karnataka (2,000–2,500 rupees), Andhra Pradesh (3,000–3,500 rupees), and Delhi (3,000–3,600 rupees).

The time required to complete the transfer also varies greatly: in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it takes only a week, whereas in Uttar Pradesh, the process can drag on for more than a month.

The research analyzed ownership transfer procedures in 15 states covering over 85% of India's organized used car market. It was found that Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi are leaders in vehicle ownership ease, while Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal ranked last.

The report highlighted that unofficial costs, procedural inefficiencies, and reliance on intermediaries continue to increase the cost of vehicle ownership transfer. Nearly 100% of respondents stated that they had to rely on agents to complete the process. The document notes that 'reducing these hidden transaction costs will be crucial for improving accessibility, accelerating market formalization, and enhancing overall vehicle ownership ease.'

No state fell into the 'high ease' or 'excellent' categories; Andhra Pradesh, which ranked first, scored only 5.9 out of 10. Kerala received 5.7 points, while Tamil Nadu and Delhi scored 4.6 points. Rajasthan (4 points) and Haryana (3.9 points) were also in the lower half of the ranking, while West Bengal (2.6), Bihar (2.5), and Uttar Pradesh (2.5) finished at the bottom.

These data come against the backdrop of the rapid growth of India's used car market, which is projected to grow from $36.4 billion in 2025 to over $73.5 billion by 2030. This market has already surpassed new car sales in volume. However, fragmentation of rules at the state level, incomplete digitalization, and complex procedures continue to hinder the smooth transfer of vehicle ownership.

Furthermore, it was found that 39% of respondents reported delays in receiving registration certificates after completing the transfer, while 61.5% were unaware of the need to apply to the RTO before reaching the office. Up to 63% could not accurately estimate the total cost of completing the transfer, indicating widespread opacity in transaction fees.

The Supreme Court (SC) notified the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that its proposed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), approved by November 30, must oblige all financial institutions to compensate those who lost money stored in banks, which was stolen by digital fraudsters.

The court justified this requirement based on the assumption of possible complicity of bank employees in such cases where cyber fraudsters deceive people using the 'digital arrest' scheme.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Leon Schreiber, informed Parliament that the department spent 341 million rands on repatriation between June and August 2026. Furthermore, 37,942 undocumented foreign nationals were detained and deported from January to August.

Specifically, at least 122 million rands were spent on housing undocumented immigrants from January to May of this year. The total expenditure for repatriation and accommodation included reimbursement of over 13 million rands to the municipalities of Ekurhuleni and Cape Town for transporting illegal immigrants to Beitbridge, Musina, during anti-immigration operations conducted three months ago.

This data was presented by Leon Schreiber in response to parliamentary questions posed by MK party deputy Siyabonga Mkhize, who inquired about the costs associated with the detention and repatriation of illegal immigrants since the beginning of January 2026. Mkhize also asked about the total number of undocumented foreigners from each country of origin who were arrested and deported during the same period.

Schreiber clarified that arrests were carried out by both the SAPS police and the Department of Internal Affairs. He noted that the detained individuals were either convicted or confirmed for detention and deportation following a judicial process. The Minister emphasized that the Department of Internal Affairs can only report on the number of detained and deported illegal foreigners, not on arrests made by other law enforcement agencies.

Nevertheless, Schreiber stated that the total number of individuals detained and deported by the Department of Internal Affairs between January 1, 2026, and August 31, 2026, amounted to 37,942 people. He added that this figure does not include a large number of people who underwent the repatriation procedure.

According to Schreiber's reports, at least 12,407 Zimbabwean citizens, 10,725 Malawian citizens, 9,548 Mozambican citizens, and 4,435 Lesotho citizens were deported during the same period. The Minister also reported that his department incurred no expenses related to deportation between January 1, 2026, and May 31, 2026.

He confirmed that the Department of Internal Affairs spent 122 million rands on housing undocumented immigrants. Schreiber also reminded that repatriation costs totaled 341 million rands for the period from June to August 2026. The Minister specifically noted that the Department reimbursed the municipalities of Ekurhuleni and Cape Town for providing buses.

It was established that the municipality of Ekurhuleni received compensation of 10.6 million rands for transporting illegal immigrants from Durban to Musina. Cape Town received a total reimbursement of 3.8 million rands for transport and facilities installed in Epping.

Schreiber mentioned that the request from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure regarding covering the costs of establishing and maintaining the Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre in Musina has not yet been received. Other costs associated with repatriation and deportation include:

• 48 million rands for the establishment and operation of the Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre in Musina;
• 232 million rands for bus rentals from the regional and intercity carrier Atlantic Charter & Tours;
• 8.7 million rands for charter flights by Cobra Aviation to DRC, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Burundi;
• 9.5 million rands for accommodation of Department of Internal Affairs staff in Durban and Musina; and
• 14.5 million rands for daily allowances, travel expenses, event venues, and printed materials of the Department of Internal Affairs.

Schreiber explained that repatriation-related costs are covered by the South African government. He added that contact is being made with the relevant countries to assist in the identification, documentation, and return of their citizens, but such cooperation does not always involve reimbursement of repatriation costs.