A major scam involving the creation of fake permits for buses traveling to Bengal has been exposed in Jamshedpur. The fraud came to light when a bus belonging to Karwan Transport, departing from the Bhuiyadih bus stand, was caught by Purulia RTO officials during an inspection. The investigation revealed that the bus’s permit and related tax documents were counterfeit, leading to the vehicle’s seizure by the police.
Bus owner Rais Alam, a resident of Bandugoda, Kapali, investigated after learning of the incident. He halted the operation of his other five buses and examined their documents. The inquiry revealed that all of his buses’ permits and tax documents were forged, allegedly created by Praful Pandey of Mango. Alam stated that this fraudulent activity had been ongoing for approximately five years. According to Alam, Praful had been arranging tax tokens through connections with the Bengal RTO.
When Alam questioned Praful about the fraud, he initially denied involvement. However, after pressure, Praful paid the fine to release the bus seized in Purulia. Following this event, Alam visited Kolkata to obtain information about permit tax payments, where he discovered that more than a dozen other vehicles, operating from and around Jamshedpur, also had fake permits. Fake challans and government seals were provided for payments.
Rais informed several prominent transporters in Jamshedpur, whose permit-tax payments were handled by Praful Pandey. According to current information, fake permits had been created for a dozen buses from the Bhuiyadih bus stand, and the funds had been embezzled. Rais Alam has filed a written complaint at the Sitaramdera police station. He has requested the police to expose the fraud, recover the outstanding amount, and arrest those involved in the racket. The Sitaramdera police station has registered a case under several sections, and the investigation has been assigned to SI Suraj Prasad. The station in-charge mentioned that the accused is absconding and that crucial information will come to light after his arrest.
Rais Alam’s written complaint also alleges that after he repeatedly demanded his money, Praful Pandey filed a false case against his associates Imran Khan, bus agent Ramkumar, and W. Singh, forcing him to seek bail. The Sitaramdera police station has been provided with a detailed account of the fraud, along with records of phone transactions and conversations saved on a pen drive.
Rais claimed Praful had strong connections with the Bengal RTO office. The same individual was providing regular tax tokens for the vehicle with the fake permit. Furthermore, according to regulations, new taxes are not accepted without the payment of old taxes. He has filed an RTI, but the information has yet to be received.
