Two transporters arrested for sharing location of RTA patrol vehicles in Haryana

Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Mahendragarh, December 11

Close on the heels of detection of two GPS trackers on a patrol vehicle of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) in Rohtak, the Mahendragarh police have arrested two transporters, who operated a WhatsApp group that shared the location of RTA officials to escape challans by diverting routes of overloaded vehicles.

The police investigation has revealed that the WhatsApp group had more than 100 members comprising transporters, drivers of heavy vehicles and residents of Narnaul city who provided information about the location of RTA patrol vehicles. The police will be questioning all members of the group.

“The two arrested last night have been identified as Anil of Dumoli Khurd in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan and Pradeep, alias Bunti, of Chandpur Ki Dhani  in Rewari district. Both were the admin of the WhatsApp group. Both accused have dumpers and tractor-trollies to transport mining material,” a police spokesman said, adding that the duo have been remanded in custody to get more information about the racket.

“This illegal practice came to the fore in September when the police recovered a cell-phone from a youth who was keeping tabs on the RTA officials during a checking operation against overloaded vehicles in the Narnaul area. It was found the youth was sharing the location of RTA officials in three WhatsApp groups, which were being operated in the name of Jai Baba Mohan Ram, Jai Shri Heera Mal Maharaj and Jai Bholenath,” the spokesman said. The police spokesman maintained that four transporters who were admin of the three WhatsApp groups were arrested. “The arrested used to post the location of patrol vehicles after getting information from different sources. Since then, the racket is being investigated,” he added.

Stones, sand, gravel and other mining material are transported to Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of Haryana by trucks, dumpers and tractor-trolleys from seven mining zones in Mahendragarh district.

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