The Hindu : Panic reaction gives the game away in Tiruchi RTO office

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 19, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Panic reaction gives the game away in Tiruchi RTO office

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI MAY 18. Officials of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption conducted extensive searches at the Regional Transport Officers' office at Mannarpuram in Tiruchi last night. Two persons, including a motor vehicles inspector were arrested on graft charges during the operation, which lasted over five hours.

A large number of incriminating documents and about Rs. 35,000 in unaccounted cash were seized during the search, conducted based on a complaint by M. Shanmuganandam of Tiruvanmiyur, Chennai, against an MV inspector, who had demanded a bribe of Rs.1000 for inspecting his car, which was involved in an accident recently.

The panic reaction of the RTO employees in throwing money and government documents (including a large number of vehicle RC books) out of the windows, on seeing the Vigilance sleuths, proved a giveaway, leading to a search of the entire RTO campus. Bunches of currencies, government documents and cellular phones were recovered from bushes, dustbins and drains. According to Mr. Shanmuganandan, he and his family members were returning to Chennai after a visit to this city, when the car collided with a lorry on the Tiruchi-Chennai bypass Road on May 15. Two of his children and other family members sustained injuries.

He approached the officials at the RTO on Thursday seeking an inspection and clearance of the vehicle, a mandatory requirement. For doing this job the MV inspector demanded Rs. 1,000. Mr. Shanmuganandam pleaded his inability to pay the money.

As the official did not relent, Mr. Shanmuganandam preferred a complaint with the DVAC. A team of officials, led by DSP, Suresh Kumar, swooped on the RTO last evening to organise a trap. The DVAC officials from Pudukottai and Thanjavur also participated in the operation.

The MV inspector, Mr. Jai Manohar, was caught while accepting the bribe handed over through a broker, Durai. Both were arrested immediately. Another person, Santanarajan, suspected to be a tout, however, fled after receiving Rs. 300 of the bribe amount. The RTO campus was subsequently searched thoroughly.

The DVAC sources indicated that further investigations could bring out more skeletons out of the cupboard.

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