‘DVAC sleuths’ demand bribe from RTO, held

On Friday, Tiruvallur Regional Transport Officer Jai Baskar received a call from a person claiming to be an officer from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) unit in Chennai. He informed Jai Baskar that the unit had received a complaint about him indulging in corrupt activities.

The caller said he was the investigating officer, and asked Jai Baskar to pay Rs 50,000 if he wanted the case to be closed. Growing suspicious, the transport official filed a complaint with Tiruvallur town police. Following this, Tiruvallur SP P Aravindan formed a special team headed by inspector Maheshwari to investigate.

The caller had sent details of a bank account, in the name of one Janardhanan, to the RTO so that the latter can deposit the money. During investigation, the special team probed the account and traced the address, and secured Janardhanan (31) and his brother Ashok Kumar (29) from Sairam Nagar in Tambaram.

During inquiry, the special team found that the two had extorted money from Tiruchy and Peravallur Regional Transport Officers. Police registered a case and are investigating.