India May Fine GM $1.6 Million for Emissions Fraud

Indian investigators have concluded that General Motors Co. is guilty of corporate fraud for falsifying emission test data, according to Reuters, which cites an unidentified government official.

The source says the government probe decided that GM was solely responsible and found no wrongdoing on the part of the carmaker's contracted testing labs.

GM's own probe of the allegations led to the recall of 114,000 diesel-powered Chevrolet Tavera MPVs from the 2005-2013 model years. In July the company also fired Sam Winegarden, its vice president for global engine engineering, and 10 other powertrain employees.

New Delhi-based Economic Times said earlier that GM admitted to the Indian government that some of the company's employees rigged emission tests by equipping certification cars with specially prepared low-emission engines.

Reuters' source says GM could be fined about 100 million rupees ($1.6 million). GM has resumed Tavera production in India with properly tested engines.