Bidar: A Lokayukta investigation has uncovered an illegal checkpost and an extortion racket allegedly run by transport department officials in collusion with private individuals on the Humnabad Ring Road in Bidar district, causing losses of crores of rupees to the govt.Based on the findings, the Lokayukta police registered a case at the Humnabad police station. The investigation revealed that an unauthorised checkpost was constructed using transport department vehicles, and money was illegally collected from motorists instead of officially collecting govt transport taxes.According to the FIR, transport department officials and two private individuals extorted money from vehicle drivers and owners, leading to significant losses to the govt exchequer. Omkara Ladvanti was named as the first accused, an unidentified individual as the second accused, and transport department officials as the third accused.The Lokayukta found that drivers and vehicle owners were forced to pay money, and those who refused were allegedly threatened with seizure of their vehicles and harassed. The complaint further stated that private individuals were engaged by transport department officials and paid Rs 300 per day to work in shifts at the Hyderabad National Highway checkpost under official instructions.During the investigation, the Lokayukta conducted a search, after which the illegal shed was dismantled and a vehicle bearing registration number KA39 G9999, belonging to the RTO department, was seized. The vehicle was reportedly found in the possession of a private individual, Omkara.A case has been registered under sections 60(a), 204, 318(4), 319(2), 308(2) read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act, and further investigation is under way.Responding to the allegations, Bidar RTO GK Biradar said that a transport department shed had earlier existed on the ring road and that a scrap departmental jeep was parked there to prevent encroachment. After the construction of the ring road, inspectors and staff were deployed to check vehicles travelling from Hyderabad to Kalaburagi. He added that if any inspector or staff member was found to have illegally collected money, strict action should be taken against them. According to him, three inspectors worked per shift on the ring road.
