Chandigarh, Oct. 31 -- A suspected fake vending permit racket came to light in the Sector 22 mobile market on Friday evening after municipal corporation (MC) enforcement staff caught a vendor displaying a forged permit during a challan drive. The slip, bearing a payment amount of Rs.3,000 and purportedly valid from October 29 to November 12, was found to be unauthorised. Subsequent checks led to the discovery of around 12-13 more suspected duplicate permits in the Sector 22B and 22C markets.

The vendor reportedly told enforcement officials that he had been advised by a juice seller operating in the market to apply for the permit online. This raised concerns that vendors, particularly first-time applicants and those unfamiliar with MC lic...