Paschim Bardhaman36 minutes ago
File photo.
The West Bengal government has suspended two Motor Vehicles Inspector (MVI) officers posted at the Rampur checkpost in Paschim Bardhaman after they were accused of demanding a bribe from a truck driver.
Reiterating its “zero tolerance” policy against corruption, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said no one is above the law and that corrupt officials have no place in the administration.
In a post on X on Friday, the Chief Minister stated that the state government maintains an absolute zero-tolerance policy towards corruption at every level of governance. He asserted that extortion and corruption would not be tolerated under any circumstances and warned of strict action against those found guilty.
Government reiterates zero tolerance against corruption
The incident involved a goods carrier truck (registration number JH09BA3535) owned by Deepak Singh and driven by Shiva Yadav. According to the government, the truck was returning to a garage after servicing when it was allegedly stopped without justification at the Rampur checkpost.
Truck driver alleges bribery at checkpoint
The driver alleged that officials at the checkpost harassed him and demanded a bribe. When he refused to pay, the vehicle was allegedly seized, and the officials reportedly demanded Rs 22,000, citing a tax that the state government had already abolished.
Officials suspended following extortion allegations
Following allegations of abuse of power and extortion, the Transport Department initiated immediate disciplinary action. As per an order signed by Transport Department Principal Secretary Dr Ravi Inder Singh, two Motor Vehicles Inspectors, Nazimul Haque and Anupam Bandyopadhyay, have been placed under suspension with immediate effect under Rule 7(1)(a) of the West Bengal Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1971.
Anti-Corruption Bureau begins criminal investigation
Apart from departmental proceedings, the matter has been referred to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for a criminal investigation and appropriate legal action. The government has also directed authorities to immediately release the vehicle that was allegedly detained unlawfully.
