GPS trackers on patrol vehicle rattle officials in Haryana

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, December 10

In an embarrassment for the state transport authorities, two GPS trackers were found fitted on a vehicle used for carrying out checking of overloaded commercial vehicles.

An RTA official said it was observed that the movement of overloaded vehicles would come to a standstill whenever the vehicle was taken out to carry out a challan drive. It appeared that the offenders were getting real-time details of its location, he said. The matter came to the fore when the driver of the vehicle found the trackers while cleaning the vehicle. In his complaint, Sub-Inspector Narendra of the RTA office said he along with other officers had been checking overloaded commercial vehicles in the district, for which they used a vehicle bearing registration number HR70C 3867. He said though they had got suspicious on finding less number of such vehicles during their challan drives, they figured out the reason when driver Ajay Kumar found two GPS trackers fitted on their vehicle. He said the erring transporters had been evading action and causing loss of revenue to the government by sharing the location of the vehicle with each other.

Sandeep Goyat, Secretary, RTA, refused to divulge any details, saying the police were investigating the case. The sources said the police were taking the help of cyber experts to track the accused.

They said this was second such incident this year. A transporter, a watchman and a sanitary worker employed with the RTA office were arrested in the previous case in January.

Cyber experts roped in to trace accused

• Accused plied overloaded vehicles; evaded action by getting real-time location of RTA vehicle
• Shared vehicle’s location with other transporters; RTA driver found trackers while cleaning it
• FIR lodged, Rohtak police taking help of cyber experts to trace accused