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| Dilbag Singh's transport business | | | Another big racket in volving the then IGP-Jammu Dilbag Singh was exposed by Journey Line on August 19, 2012. The racket was about how transporters used to ply the buses illegally on inter-state routes. The modus operandi of these bus companies/ bus operators was that they used to purchase buses from North East, Assam or Nagaland and get a route permit for a particular package or a particular route for one month but then that month continued for years and the route shortened for specific stations and instead of a tour or package destination the buses were converted into passenger buses plying on these routes without documents especially route permits. RTO Jammu Virender Slathia had dared to intercept one bus belonging to Bhawani Travels plying Amritsar- Jammu - Katra road on 7.2.2011 at 5.30 PM at Kaluchak (near Bharat Grand Banquet Hall) on Jammu Pathankot National Highway but the RTO and his team faced a miserable and hostile situation, due to lack of Police support, rather Police acted as an adversary and later started harassing and the RTO and his staff including his PSO for daring to stop the bus whose driver boasted that the bus belongs to then IGP Jammu, Dilbag Singh. After being confronted with such an ugly situation the RTO Jammu vide his letter no. MVD/RTOJ/PA/2011/1262-66 dated 10.2.2011 submitted a detailed factual report to the Transport Commissioner J&K Govt, Jammu and sought action as warranted under law. In his factual report the RTO Jammu submitted that he was on a routine checking alongwith ARTO, Jammu and one Motor Vehicle Inspector at National Highway and checked inter-state buses, trucks etc for violation of Motor Vehicle Act.
He submitted in his report that at about 5.30 PM, a bus going from Katra- Jammu to Amritsar of Bhawani Travels bearing Nagaland's registration no. NL02B -1777 was stopped and driver was asked to produce documents, which he initially refused. He threatened the RTO and his team and said" the bus belongs to IGP Saheb so do whatever you want to do." The RTO alleged that the driver stopped them from performing their official duty. Besides the Bus had committed serious violations like was plying with a different number plate while as had only a Temporary permit valid upto 6.12.2010 which was over the day the inspection of the documents was done, still the bus was being plied. The "expired" permit too was of Bus no. NL02D 1777 instead of NL02B 1777.
The erring Bus was registered on the name of one Surinder Singh Sodhi S/o Paramjeet Singh Sodhi R/o 42- A/2, Vijay Nagar, Batala Road Amritsar (PB) with seating capacity of 55 and token tax paid upto 30.6.2008 and the bus was plying without paying the tax till 2011.
As per the report of the RTO the driver who boasted of the bus belonging to IGP; his driving license was checked and the same stood on the name of S Kulwant Singh S/o S Chanan Singh R/o Village Khokrawal Gurdaspur (Pb).
Another writ petition was filed by one Noor Mohammad V/s State of J&K & Others (emanating out of this episode) wherein the petitioner Noor Mohammad ex PSO of the RTO had also arrayed Dilbag Singh, then IGP Jammu Zone as a party by name and levelled allegations against him. In the reply of the RTO Jammu the RTO submitted before the Court the fact of the driver of his bus pulling his "Police connections" and trying to pressurize the RTO and his team. The RTO submitted that the driver ran away from the spot.
After the said incident Surinder Singh Sodhi the owner of Bhawani Travels and its bus no. NL 02B-1777 filed a criminal complaint in the Court of Spl Mobile Magistrate (Electricity), allegedly as a counterbast to the actions of the RTO and his team. So much so that the driver of the said bus had also lodged a complaint at Police Station Bari Brahmna. It may be mentioned that on one side the SHO of the Police Station Gangyal himself reached on spot that day but after a phone call had to go on some other duty of receiving a Minister, on the other hand the SHO Bari Brahmna on receipt of a complaint which the RTO had described as "concocted and manufactured" started harassing the RTO Jammu and his PSO Noor Mohammad.
It was quite evident that there was some connection of the "driver" with the Police, therefore till date despite a written complaint by RTO against the driver for causing obstruction in duty (353 RPC) and fleeing with the bus etc, the Police failed to register an FIR against the driver of the bus for cognizable offences. So much so that the Divisional Commissioner wrote to then IGP Jammu range to probe and take action against the erring driver vide his letter no. 402/855-Traffic/11/2728-30 dated 17.2.2011. Similarly IGP Traffic also directed SP Traffic to seize the bus no. NL02B-1777 and submit complaince report vide letter no. THQ/PS-113/IRP/2010/716-22 dated 25.2.2011.
How strong the Police connections were of the said bus driver and his owner, one can well imagine that till date despite letters from Divisional Commissioner to IGP Jammu, Transport Commissioner, IGP Traffic etc the Police could not take action against this specific bus and the buses plied unabated under the patronage of certain Police officers.
The RTO Jammu submitted in his reply that the ex Constable Noor Mohammad was suspended just because of vendatta by the Police officers. Even the service of the PSO Noor Mohammad were later terminated. |
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