RTO inspector booked for asking ₹400 from trucker

Nagpur: The raging controversies at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) took yet another turn on Thursday when an offence was registered against RTO inspector Geeta Sejwal and two agents, Mukund Sonkusre and Rajesh Bhatkhore, at Ramtek police station by the State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The three accused, who are yet to be arrested, allegedly demanded ₹400 from a trucker at Kandri check post.
The action against Sejwal, posted at Nagpur City RTO, was initiated by a team from Yavatmal ACB office. In 2016, Solapur rural police had registered an offence against Sejwal, and in 2022, her increments had been stalled, said sources. On February 8, 2023, Sejwal’s husband Abhijit Manjre was trapped by ACB team from Nagpur for demanding ₹500 from a trucker.
Sources said the latest ACB action is part of a long chain of charges revolving around the RTO department. Sejwal had furnished a written complaint against her senior RTO Ravindra Bhuyar on January 16.
Sejwal’s official complaint had gone viral on social media in the last week of January, after which Bhuyar had lodged a complaint at Sitabuldi police station for defamation and leaking of official documents.
In the meantime, Bhuyar had been approached by two persons, Dilip Khode and Shekhar Bhoyar, who allegedly demanded Rs1 crore from him to ensure a member of the legislative council (MLC) does not raise in the house a complaint against him lodged by two women colleagues.
The two had also shown Bhuyar a letter written by the concerned MLC, addressed to the chief minister, regarding the two complaints against Bhuyar.
Though the letter was never sent to the CM, Bhuyar was asked to hand over the first instalment of ₹25 lakh to Khode. On March 28, Khode was caught by ACB while accepting the bribe. Bhoyar too was arrested later. The MLC was quizzed for seven hours regarding the matter by the ACB on Thursday.
While Sejwal is now accused of taking a bribe by the ACB, the other woman who had lodged a complaint against Bhuyar was booked by Sitabuldi police in March this year.
City police chief Amitesh Kumar had appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the ‘cash-for-transfer’ scam at the RTO after an audio clip went viral about a former RTO official checking into a city hotel to meet personnel keen to get choice posting in exchange for payments.