DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Monday conducted surprise inspections at Regional Transport Authority (RTA) offices and driving test centres across the state, leading to the arrest of 24 persons allegedly involved in bribery and malpractices, officials said.

A total of 16 FIRs have been registered after the authorities confiscated Rs 40,900 from middlemen who were extorting money from citizens seeking driving licence, driving tests and other services, an official spokesman said. The raids were carried out after numerous complaints were received through the chief minister's anti-corruption action helpline. The operation targeted RTA officials and agents who were acting as intermediaries, charging illegal fees to expedite licence processing or manipulating driving test results, the spokesman said.

He said the operation was part of the state government's ongoing efforts to eliminate corruption in public offices.

Among those arrested was Sukhwinder Singh, a private agent from Mohali, who was caught red-handed while accepting Rs 2,500 as part of a Rs 5,000 bribe to facilitate a driving licence and ensure clearance of the test. In Fatehgarh Sahib, another agent named Paramjit Singh was arrested while taking Rs 5,000 for similar illegal services.

The spokesman said that in Ludhiana, three individuals -- Pankaj Arora alias Sunny, Deepak Kumar and Manish Kumar -- were arrested for demanding bribes ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,500.

The Vigilance Bureau arrested two more agents -- Taisiff Ahmed Ansari and Honey Arora -- for allegedly charging Rs 7,000 and Rs 5,500 to secure licences, respectively.

In Jalandhar, Mohit Kumar and Vijay Kumar were caught red-handed while accepting Rs 2,000 to fast-track driving test appointments.

In Hoshiarpur, a man named Ashok Kumar was arrested for taking Rs 5,000 to clear a driving test without proper trials, the spokesman said.

(editor@dailyworld.in)