In an unusual incident in Karachi, a five-star hotel received an e-challan for a vehicle that had been stolen 28 years ago. The car, registered as AAR‑540, was reported stolen in 1997, with an FIR filed at Saddar Police Station at the time. Recently, the automated TRACS e-challan system issued a fine for a seatbelt violation at the Hub Toll Plaza, sending the notice to the hotel.
Authorities later confirmed that the e-challan had been cancelled, attributing the error to either a duplicate number plate or a technical glitch in the integration of historical vehicle and crime records. The hotel administration welcomed the cancellation but expressed concerns over the accuracy of automated e-challan systems, emphasizing the need to prevent innocent parties from being mistakenly penalized.
Police officials assured that corrective measures are being implemented to improve the system, minimize such errors, and ensure that outdated or unrelated cases do not trigger fines in the future. This incident underscores the importance of careful database management and monitoring in automated law enforcement systems.
