PANAJI: The transport department on Monday suspended Motor Vehicle Inspector Narayan Phadte pending departmental inquiry against him after a sting video which went viral on social media showed him allegedly accepting money from truck drivers at the Pollem check-post.
Prudent Media, a local news channel, conducted the sting operation on Friday midnight at the Pollem check post.
The file was referred to Government with a detailed confidential report for initiating action against the concerned officer, Assistant Director of Transport Prakash Azavedo said, adding that Fadet's fate will be decided by the suspension review committee based on the findings of the inquiry.Several officials of the transport department had been caught accepting bribes in the past.
A lower division clerk Naresh Narvekar of the RTO office in Mapusa was caught red-handed in September 2014 while taking bribe to issue an NOC to transfer the ownership of a vehicle. While the criminal prosecution is still going on in this case, the suspension order of the LDC has been revoked.
A peon from Panaji transport headquarters Damu Gawde was also arrested by anti-corruption bureau in 2015 and is still under suspension.
In 2016 assistant director of transport Uday Gawas and assistant motor vehicle inspector Waman Umraskar were arrested while accepting a bribe.
