Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena has directed the Delhi Government’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) to conduct a probe into graft and the collusion of Transport Department officials with auto financers, unauthorised dealers and touts at the Burari Transport Authority.  The direction comes in the wake of the Delhi High Court’s order on a petition filed by several autorickshaw unions of the national Capital who alleged large-scale corruption in the Road Transport Office (RTO) and the consequent harassment they face because of it. “The auto drivers had complained that the TSR permits were illegally being transferred, on default of payment of loan, in cahoots with the Motor Licencing Officer (MLO) and RTO officials.

 While considering the Criminal Writ Petition, the High Court directed the Delhi Police, the Transport Department, GNCTD and the Directorate of Vigilance, Delhi Government to proceed with the investigation into the matter with the angles of crime as well as corruption, while treating this petition as a complaint,” sources said. “The High Court also directed the Delhi Police to forward the petition/complaint to the Economic Offence Wing (EOW)/Serious Fraud Investigation Office, for necessary action,” sources said. “The Directorate of Vigilance, in its report, observed that the said complaint was “serious” in nature and hence, proposed to refer the same to the ACB, which was further endorsed by the Chief Secretary.

The Vigilance Directorate noted that the Transport Department on August 8, 2012 made it a condition precedent that the financers of autorickshaws will be non-financial banking companies (NBFS) but several proprietorship firms were financing the purchase of TSRs and thereafter, filing court cases to recover the autorickshaws for default of loan payments,” they said. The L-G has directed that the investigation be completed and a comprehensive report be submitted within one month, they added.

The Directorate of Vigilance had examined matter and observed that "petitioners have levelled serious allegations of large-scale corruption in RTO as well as misdeeds that are happening and impacting auto drivers", sources said. "It has been alleged that permits are being transferred in cahoots with MLO and the RTO officials," they said.

“This ACB enquiry on complaint of autorickshaw drivers would mount severe pressure on Government and Aam Aadmi Party as autorickshaw drivers form a major vote bank for party. Over 2 lakh autorickshaw drivers in the national Capital had whole-heartedly supported Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP in 2013 and 2015 and 2020 Delhi Assembly elections,” sources said.

“Also, during these elections, the AAP had extensively used autorickshaws for campaigning while a number of autorickshaw drivers had also voluntarily offered support to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal,” sources added.