Berhampur: Police have arrested five persons including an ARTO and a junior MVI besides three brokers for extorting money from the vehicles at a check gate on National Highway 16 in Odisha’s Ganjam district.
Speaking to media on Tuesday, Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M said the three brokers of Girisola village were illegally collecting huge money from the heavy transport vehicles plying on the NH with a promise that they would ensure their smooth passage without any checking or legal troubles by RTO officials through the district.
They revealed to the police that they were working on behalf of the officials of Ganjam RTO office including NK Chhinira, former TI, Chhatrapur; K Venketesh, Additional RTO and Ratikanta Nahak, Junior MVI.
After collecting the money from the trucks and other heavy vehicles, they were giving the share of these officials in cash or online transactions. Each truck was paying Rs 700 to 2000 as per the load. Later, the money collected illegally was shared with the RTO officials online.
They were exchanging information on WhatsApp group. Details of the trucks which paid money were shared in the group so that those vehicles would not be checked by RTO officials on NH-16, the 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. While police nabbed three, one person managed to escape.
