ROURKELA: Vigilance officials on Wednesday caught two employees of the Rourkela regional transport office (RTO) red-handed while they were allegedly taking Rs 26,000 bribe from a truck owner for issuing two fresh registration certificates (FRCs).
Dealing clerk-cum-night watcher Niranjan Sandha and IT executive Dharmendra Behera, both attached to the Rourkela RTO, were later arrested by officials of the Rourkela Vigilance Division.
Officials of the anti-corruption agency said the complainant had recently purchased two second-hand trucks through auction sale of a private bank. He had applied for two FRCs against the trucks at the Rourkela RTO as per the norms of the Transport department.
Despite repeated requests by the complainant, the dealing clerk reportedly working in tandem with the IT executive was not processing the applications for issue of FRCs. Sandha had allegedly asked the complainant to pay Rs 13,000 bribe for each FRC.
Unable to pay the money, the truck owner lodged a complaint with the Vigilance based on which a case under section 7 of the PC (Amendment) Act was registered. Subsequently, a trap was laid and the two accused were caught red-handed while accepting the chemical-treated bribe money on the Rourkela RTO premises.
Following the successful trap, simultaneous searches were carried out at Sandha’s office room at the Rourkela RTO, his official quarters at Uditnagar and another residence at Railway Colony from the disproportionate assets angle. Further investigation is underway and details of assets disclosure are awaited, said officials.
On August 3, Vigilance sleuths had caught a traffic inspector posted at the Sundargarh RTO while he was allegedly taking Rs 20,000 bribe from a truck owner. Accused traffic inspector Mukesh Kumar Mishra had demanded the bribe to allow the complainant to operate his truck smoothly for two months.