the goan I network
CANACONA/PANAJI
Tuesday at midnight, sleuths of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) swooped down on the RTO officials manning the check-post at the Polem border and nabbed three persons, including a RTO Inspector allegedly accepting bribes from truckkers.
RTO Inspector Vaman Prabhu, and two of his accomplices Jeetendra Velip and Basavraj alias Chotu were caught red-handed while indulging in corruption and taking bribes from the inter-state vehicles entering and leaving the State by the ACB team led by PI Gurudas Kadam.
An offense has been registered under sec 7, 8 of Anti-Corruption Act 1988 against RTO official Prabhu, private security guard for Goa Agricultural Marketing check post Jitendra Velip and agent from border area Majali (Karwar) Gorajanavar.
One of the accused confessed of keeping another one lakh cash at his room located in Karwar, the other side of the border in Karnataka. All the three have been taken into custody by the ACB.
Official press release issued by the crime branch says that Rs 15,490 was confiscated from Velip and Rs 710 from Gorajanavar on the spot.
The operation undertaken due to previous complaints by a local NGO, had the ACB sleuths in two different vehicles reaching the border at 2.30 am on Wednesday, and immediately tasted success in nabbing the culprits red-handed while executing one of the illegal operations on a loaded vehicle leaving the state.
Sources informed the ACB, who been reportedly planning the raid over past 2-3 months period had conducted a dry run prior to the raid, observing the illegal activity on previous Saturday. The sleuths after learning of the modus operandi of the RTO officer’s illegal operation, finally executed the trap successfully in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Velip is reportedly working as a watchman at the market yard at the Polem border, while the agent Basavraj alias Chotu works as a collection agent to the RTO officer and was reported to carry the cash to his rented room located on the other side of the border.
Sources informed the Police team did not raid the rented premises of Chotu, due to jurisdictional issues, even though the accused confessed to shifting the bribed cash of Rs One lakh to his room at Majali. He is also reported to have confessed to moving the bribed cash amount every two hours to his house after it was collected at the RTO office.
It may be recalled RTO inspection Narayan Phadte was caught on camera by local activists group of Jagruth Canaconkars while accepting bribe from inter-state vehicles on August 10. Phadte is presently on suspension issued from August 14 and an inquiry is currently underway.
According to Jagruth Canconkars, the Polem check post has become a den of corruption with the involvement of RTO officials.
The local body claims, most of the corruption takes place in night time, and arrangements are so planned at the RTO counter, that the bribe collecting agent is stationed at a dark spot purposely kept un-illuminated. The official receipt is handed over only after bribed money is paid and confirmed by the middlemen placed at the site.
