Appoint officer to probe nexus between RTA officials, agents: HC to VB Director

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought from the Director, Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, to appoint a senior IPS officer to investigate the role of illegal agents, brokers and corrupt officials of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Ludhiana, “as no official work is done unless the public pays money to such unscrupulous persons”.

The Court of NS Shekhawat, in an observation, noted that after going through the report of an investigating officer in an alleged cheating-extortion case related to the RTA, Ludhiana, “It appears that a well-oiled system is working in the office of the RTA, Ludhiana, in which, the petitioner and other brokers are also involved. These agents sit outside the RTA office and collect money even for petty official works. Even, the public has no access to officials of the RTA and no official work is done or no official file is cleared, unless the public pays money to such unscrupulous persons. The veil will be lifted from such a racket when the investigation will be conducted by a senior IPC officer of the Punjab Police. Even, it appears that the complainant appears to be a chronic litigant and some other officials of the RTA, Ludhiana, may also be involved,” the order, dated January 16, reads.

On December 6, 2023, the Vigilance Bureau arrested Ludhiana RTA Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, a PCS officer, on the charge of running an organised crime by collecting money as bribe from transporters.

The petitioner, Bhupinder Punj, had filed an anticipatory bail application in a cheating, extortion and a criminal conspiracy case registered by the Economic Offences Wing, Vigilance Bureau police station, Ludhiana, on November 30, 2024 after “Ravinder Kataria had filed complaints against him on diktats of Amardeep Singh, a clerk in the RTO, Ludhiana”.

The case was registered by the Vigilance Bureau, Ludhiana, after a detailed inquiry report by the SHO, Vigilance Bureau police station, Ludhiana, in which it was reportedly found that Bhupinder Punj and Satnam Dhawan used to obtain works of innocent people done with RTO offices themselves and after threatening officials of the RTO regarding giving their complaints to the Vigilance Department, they forced them to do their work early and after blackmailing, obtain money from them.

The inquiry report mentions that clerks Ravinder Singh, Vikram Singh and Neelam produced screenshots in this regard and from the register produced by Navdeep Singh, steno, it was found that Bhupinder Punj of Lohara, in routine, gets the work of people from the RTO done and himself receives documents (RCs, licences/permits). “Whereas the said work do not belong to his-self, but is of the public and in lieu of this work, Bhupinder Punj obtains huge amounts from them and blackmails officials of the RTO, the EOW report reads, adding that the allegations regarding Bhupinder and Satnam threatening/blackmailing RTO officials by getting complaints registered against them at the bureau are proved.

The probe mentions at least six employees’ name of the RTO, Ludhiana, being extorted by agents.

In the WhatsApp conversations, amount in lakhs is being sought and negotiated with a data entry operator. In one instance, the inquiry report mentions that Rs 80,000 reportedly changed hands through UPI transactions. A lawyer, a stamp vendor and others are also under the scanner.

The observations were made only for the limited purpose of disposal of the bail application and shall never be construed as an expression of opinion on the merits of the case.