PANAJI
Goa police has admitted to a practice that could now invite serious questions over both legality and conduct, acknowledging that traffic personnel were using personal mobile phones to photograph violations and issue challans, even though such electronic devices are not recognised for enforcement under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
The admission, sources told The Goan, has been made in an internal communication by Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Prabodh Shirwaiker, who also alleged the practice was being used to harass violators, including tourists.
The disclosure comes at a time when the traffic enforcement system is already under intense scrutiny over the legality of thousands of challans and the collection of more than Rs 3 crore in fines.
What makes the development more serious is that the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, do not recognise either personal or official mobile phones as certified electronic enforcement equipment for issuing challans.
In his communication to senior officers, the SP Traffic admitted that personnel in the ranks of Assistant Sub-Inspector, Head Constable and Police Constable were using private mobile phones to photograph alleged violations and generate challans -- bringing disrepute to the department.
The order, with a warning of action, directed all supervising officers to stop the practice and monitor compliance immediately.
Barely days ago, the traffic police had publicly defended its challan system after revelations that thousands of fines had been issued even before mandatory certification under Rule 167-A of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules was obtained.
That certification, required for electronic enforcement devices to establish legal validity and accuracy, was granted only on February 20, 2026. The certification itself did not mention mobile phones as approved enforcement devices. Yet, enforcement continued on a massive scale.
In North Goa alone, 22,042 challans were issued in 2025 using images captured on mobile devices, generating Rs 1.08 crore in compounding fees. South Goa recorded another 30,249 challans, collecting over Rs 97 lakh through similar enforcement methods. Police headquarters also registered separate cases.
Together, the collections linked to the questioned enforcement system touched nearly Rs 3.24 crore.
The traffic police had then issued a clarification asserting that Rule 167-A had no application to the current method of issuing challans in Goa, denying violation of law. However, the clarification remained completely silent on the use of mobile phones by traffic personnel.
