Bihar transport officer accused of running wide extortion racket, raided

Rajnish Lal joined service in 1999 and was posted as DTO, Muzaffapur from February 3, 2020. On March 9 this year, he was also given additional charge of Chhapra DTO.

A district transport officer (DTO) in Bihar was being raided by vigilance investigation bureau (VIB) on Thursday over suspicion that he had amassed disproportionate assets at least worth ₹1.24 crore. During the raids in his Patna residences, more than ₹50 lakh in cash besides gold and silver ornaments were seized so far, officials said.

Assets recovered during the raids were being tabulated at one of the three Patna residences of the Bihar transport department officer. (Courtesy- vigilance investigation bureau)

They added that Rajnish Lal, a Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) officer, also possessed movable and immovable assets worth at least ₹1.24 crore above his lawful income and the value of his hidden assets could increase after the ongoing scrutiny of documents at his three flats in Kankarbagh area in the state capital and the official residence near MIT in Muzaffarpur.

Lal joined service in 1999 and was posted as DTO, Muzaffapur from February 3, 2020. On March 9 this year, he was also given additional charge of Chhapra DTO.

Lal came under scrutiny in January this year after Muzaffarpur police led by deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Town, Ram Naresh Paswan, raided his office over allegations of involvement in making fake registration papers for stolen vehicles.

Police found that some middlemen were conniving with DTO staff to change the details of engine and chassis numbers to make fake registration papers. It was also alleged that after Lal got additional charge of DTO Chhapra, officials collected bribes from truck drivers involved in transport of illegal sand through Saran district.

The vigilance bureau learnt that a “System” and an “Entry” method was used by Lal to run the bribery channel, helping him make crores and also acquire benami properties in Bihar and other states within a few years.

“During our investigation, we have come across truck drivers speaking about the “System” method, put in place by Lal, to extort money. We are further investigating the case from this angle,” said a vigilance officer on condition of anonymity.

“Not a single truck could cross Saran without paying money to Lal. If someone tried to escape, his men used to chase the driver and beat him to extort money with the help of local police,” said Satyendra Kumar, a truck driver.

A senior VIB official said the rot could run a lot deeper as several registers and forged papers were seized during the raids, hinting at a wider nexus between touts and a section of government officials. Lal couldn’t be reached for comments since he is reported to be in custody of the VIB sleuths during the raids.