West Bengal’s Anti-Corruption Branch arrested a regional transport officer and an alleged tout on October 9 after an operation linked to an alleged ₹90,000 bribe for renewing and modifying a bus permit under the State Transport Authority.
The arrests followed a complaint from a bus operator or applicant who alleged that the accused had demanded money in return for completing the permit-related work. According to information from the Anti-Corruption Branch, the initial demand was ₹1 lakh. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to ₹90,000.
The complainant approached the Anti-Corruption Branch instead of paying the alleged bribe. Investigators then planned a trap operation, during which the RTO officer and the alleged tout were arrested with the bribe money, the report said.
The case concerns two administrative processes that are central to the operation of commercial public transport: renewal of a bus permit and changes to the permit. Such permissions are administered through the State Transport Authority and its regional transport offices, which deal with applications affecting the legal operation of buses on public roads.
The Anti-Corruption Branch has started investigating whether the alleged transaction was an isolated incident or whether a larger network was operating behind it. Investigators are also examining whether other officials or individuals were involved, according to the report.
The arrests place scrutiny on the role of intermediaries in transport offices, where applicants often seek assistance with documentation and regulatory procedures. In this case, the alleged tout was arrested along with the RTO officer, but the supplied report does not identify the officer, the office where the transaction allegedly took place, or the bus route connected to the permit application.
The case also illustrates how delays or uncertainty in permits can create opportunities for unofficial payments in a public transport system. The available information establishes the alleged demand, the complaint, the trap operation and the arrests, but does not establish the outcome of the investigation or any finding of guilt. The accused will be subject to the legal process.
The Anti-Corruption Branch’s investigation will now focus on the alleged wider network, including whether other officials or intermediaries were connected to the permit-related transaction.
