The Boudh Police have detained one Ranjan Das, who works as an Assistant Programmer with the Regional Transport Office in Boudh, for questioning after receiving complaint of irregularities in providing fitness certificates to several vehicles.
As per reports, Ranjan tampered the Vahan portal and unscrupulously helped in releasing fitness certificates to 117 vehicles in Barbil, Keonjhar at the Boudh RTO.
After the forgery came to the fore, the Transport Commissioner of Odisha, Arun Bothra ordered the Additional Regional Transport Officer, Shalkhu Murmu to lodge a complaint with the Police after which the Police detained Ranjan for questioning.
Speaking to the media, the Regional Transport Officer of Boudh, Amaresh Patra said, "An FIR was lodged by our ARTO yesterday about the irregularities. An investigation is going on. I will be able to reveal more only after completion of the probe."
In a related incident, a man was arrested for allegedly posing as a Regional Transport Officer (RTO) and duping drivers on the pretext of collecting fines on the national highway in Bargarh district in October this year.
Earlier in August this year, all the Transport officers in Odisha were directed to enforce stringent road safety rules with suspension of Driving License (DL) of the offenders.