The government has taken action against a Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) in Kanhangad suspected of involvement in bribery related to driving licenses. The MVI in question, Prasad K R, responsible for conducting driving tests at the Kanhangad Sub-Regional Transport Office (RTO), has been suspended from service. This move comes nearly three years after the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB) seized around Rs 2.70 lakh in unaccounted-for money from two driving agents near the Guruvanam test ground.
The investigation began in September 2021 when the Anti-Corruption Bureau in Kasaragod received information about agents from Ruby Driving School and Nithyananda Driving School collecting money from driving license applicants at the Kanhangad Sub-RTO’s test ground. Acting on this tip-off, VACB officials conducted a surprise inspection at the Guruvanam testing ground, where they discovered that driving schools were operating from a building nearby. During the inspection, Rs 2,69,960 was seized from Ruby Driving School’s agent, Noushad, and ABC Driving School’s agent, Rameez.
Further allegations were made in a letter from the VACB director to the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) on June 30, 2022. The letter claimed that the seized money was collected from license applicants and was intended to be handed over to Motor Vehicle Inspector Prasad K R, Joint RTO H S Chegla, and other RTO officials on duty that day. Additionally, it was found that the applications that should have been in the possession of Prasad were actually with Noushad from Ruby Driving School. This indicated a disruption of the transparent online system provided by the Motor Vehicle Department.
Transport Secretary Prabhakaran, after examining the matter and considering the findings and recommendations of the VACB, made the decision to suspend Prasad from service pending an inquiry. This action reflects the government’s commitment to addressing corruption and ensuring the integrity of the driving license issuance process.
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