Chandigarh, April 8: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Monday arrested 24 individuals during surprise inspections at Regional Transport Authority (RTA) offices and driving test centres across the state in a large-scale crackdown on bribery and malpractice.
According to a VB spokesperson, the joint operation—conducted by the bureau’s flying squad and economic offences wing (EOW)—was initiated after multiple complaints surfaced on the Chief Minister’s Anti-Corruption Action Line. “The operation targeted RTA officials and agents who were acting as intermediaries, charging illegal fees to expedite license processing or manipulate driving test results,” the spokesperson said.
A total of 16 FIRs have been filed and ₹40,900 in cash was seized from middlemen extorting money from citizens for driving licenses and related services.
Among those arrested was Mohali-based agent Sukhwinder Singh, who was caught accepting ₹2,500 to ensure a driving license. In Fatehgarh Sahib, Paramjit Singh was held while taking ₹5,000 for similar services.
In Ludhiana, the EOW detained five individuals, including Pankaj Arora alias Sunny, Deepak Kumar, and Manish Kumar, for demanding bribes between ₹1,500 and ₹3,500. Two other agents, Taisiff Ahmed Ansari and Honey Arora, were arrested for allegedly charging ₹7,000 and ₹5,500, respectively.
The bureau also arrested agents Mohit Kumar and Vijay Kumar in Jalandhar for accepting ₹2,000 to fast-track test appointments. In Hoshiarpur, Ashok Kumar was caught taking ₹5,000 to clear a driving test without proper procedure. A significant seizure was made in Kapurthala, where agent Sher Amrik Singh was held with ₹12,000 in cash, suggesting collusion with RTA staff.
In SBS Nagar, junior assistant Jatinder Singh and data entry operator Manish Kumar, both RTA employees, were booked alongside private agents Kewal Krishan and Kamal Kumar for similar offenses.
Additional arrests included Lovepreet Singh and Avinas Garg in Sangrur, Lakhbir Singh Dhillon in Tarn Taran, and Kulbir Singh and Indrass in Gurdaspur. The VB stated these individuals were charging up to ₹9,000 to influence Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) officials.
In Bathinda, Krishan Lal, Inderjit Singh, and agent Naveen Kumar were booked for allegedly using fake addresses to issue registration certificates.
The Vigilance Bureau confirmed the drive would continue across the state to dismantle corrupt networks within the transport system.
