Authorities have uncovered a sophisticated operation in Jamshedpur that was creating fraudulent permits for buses traveling to Bengal, leading to the exposure of a major scam. The incident came to light when a bus from Karwan Transport, preparing to leave from the Bhuiyadih bus stand, was inspected and detained by the Purulia RTO. The inspection revealed that the bus’s permit and tax documents were fake.
Upon learning of the incident, Rais Alam, the owner of the bus, who resides in Bandugoda, Kapali, ceased the operation of his other five buses and investigated the paperwork. The investigation revealed that all his buses’ permits and tax documents were fake. These documents were allegedly created by Praful Pandey from Mango. Rais claims this activity had been ongoing for about five years. He stated that Praful was securing tax tokens using his connections with the Bengal RTO.
When Rais questioned Praful about the fraud, he initially denied any involvement. However, after pressure, Praful helped get the detained bus released by paying the fine. Following this, Rais went to Kolkata to inquire about the permit and tax payments. He discovered that over a dozen vehicles operating in and around Jamshedpur had fake permits. Money was collected, and fake challans and government seals were used for payments.
Rais informed other major transport operators in Jamshedpur, whose permit-tax matters were managed by Praful Pandey. According to initial reports, fake permits were made for a dozen buses from the Bhuiyadih bus stand. Rais Alam has filed a written complaint at the Sitaramdera police station. He has requested the police to expose the fraud, recover the amount, and arrest the suspects. The Sitaramdera police station has registered a case. The investigation has been assigned to SI Suraj Prasad. The police in-charge said the accused is on the run, and more information will come to light after his arrest.
Rais Alam also claimed that when he asked for his money back, Praful Pandey filed a false case against his associates Imran Khan, bus agent Ramkumar, and W. Singh, which forced him to seek bail. The Sitaramdera police station was provided with a complete description of the fraud, including phone records and conversations saved on a pen drive.
Rais said Praful had close ties with the Bengal RTO office. The individual also provided tax tokens for the vehicle with the fake permit. According to regulations, new taxes cannot be accepted without the payment of old taxes. He filed an RTI, but the information has not been received yet.
