Two officials held for collecting money from trucks on NH

Berhampur: Police arrested an ARTO, a junior MVI and three brokers for collecting money illegally from trucks at a check gate on National Highway-16 in Ganjam district.

Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said the three brokers of Girisola village were illegally collecting money from the heavy transport vehicles plying on NH-16 with a promise that they will ensure smooth passage of their vehicles without any checking or legal troubles by RTO officials along the district.

The brokers said that they were working on behalf of officials of Ganjam RTO office -- N K Chhinira, former TI, Chhatrapur; K Venketesh, Additional RTO and Ratikanta Nahak, Junior MVI. Each truck was paying Rs 700 to Rs 2,000 as per their load. Details of the trucks which paid money were shared in their WhatsApp group so that they won’t be checked on NH-16, the Berhampur SP said.

Acting on a tipoff, Golanthara police, led by IIC Bibekananda Swain, reached the spot near Hanuman temple in Girisola and noticed that four youths were detaining the trucks and collecting money. Police nabbed three persons, while one managed to escape from the spot.

Golanthara police registered a case under sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against the RTO officials and the agents.