Misappropriation of passenger tax: ACB books RTO Jammu’s employees
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday registered a case against officials of the Motor Vehicle Department in the Regional Transport Office (RTO) for alleged embezzlement of passenger tax worth lakhs of rupees from 2018 to 2023.
FIR 09/2024 under section 13(1)(a) r/w 13 (2) PC Act, 1988 & section 120-B, 409 has been registered against Manju Sharma, the then Jr. Assistant, other officers/officials then posted in RTO office Jammu and others on the outcome of a verification conducted by ACB to look into the allegations of irregularities committed by officials of Motor Vehicle Department in Regional Transport Office Jammu with regard to collection/deposition of passenger tax as well as probable misappropriation of same from 2018 onwards till collection of same through online mode, pursuant to receipt of communication dated March 6, 2023 from General Administration Department.
The verification conducted revealed that Manju Sharma, Jr. Assistant was deputed in Accounts Section of Regional Transport office, Jammu to collect Passenger Tax from owners of Passenger Commercial Vehicles during the period in question. While collecting the passenger Tax Dues, she acted dishonestly and resorted to randomly conceal the actual amount of Passenger Tax received from Vehicle owners/operators by way of reflecting only meager part of amount in official record than amount which she collected on account of Passenger Tax. The only amount of Passenger Tax as reflected in counterfoil of Government Receipts (GRs) was deposited in Government treasury whereas rest of the amount collected from Vehicle Owners/Operators stands misappropriated by her. Furthermore, the Manual Cash Book/Day Book and vehicle-wise details pertaining to collection and deposition of Passenger Tax dues during the period has not been properly maintained which paved way to embezzle/misappropriate Passenger Tax dues.
During the course of verification, it surfaced that an amount of more than 10 lakhs has been misappropriated in view of random cross checking of some copies of GRs and Owner’s copies of GRs. The same may increase further in respect of other passenger commercial vehicles of Jammu, if detected during investigation. The role of the officers/officials of RTO office Jammu, in abetting/ facilitating such misappropriation of passenger tax amount during that period cannot be ruled out. By acting in this manner, Manju Sharma, the then Jr. Assistant in lieu of criminal conspiracy with other employees of RTO office Jammu, dishonestly and fraudulently misappropriated huge amount of passenger tax so collected from various owners/operators during that period. Further investigation in the case is in progress.
