SHILLONG, JULY 2: The Meghalaya government has issued a strong warning to police officials who have been accused of extorting money from truckers on national highways. The action is taken in the wake of widespread public outrage in the wake of a viral video that blamed law enforcement officers for mass-level bribery and harassment.
Home (Police) department-in-charge Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong spoke on the issue on Tuesday, indicating that any police officer found involved in illegal extortion would be dealt with seriously. “I would like to warn any officers—if they have the bad habit of taking money or extorting illegally, we will take stern action accordingly,” Tynsong said in a press interaction.
Tynsong also admitted that the government had previously received several complaints over such occurrences. He called on members of the public to report information to him, promising that complaints lodged directly to top government officials or him would be seriously considered and addressed. If there is any complaint against officers accepting money from truck drivers or owners, I appeal to lodge such complaints in a hushed manner to higher authorities or directly to me, and stern action will be initiated,” he added.
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The row was kicked up by a vlog posted by Rajesh Rawani, a truck driver and popular YouTuber with 2.41 million subscribers. In the clip, which he recorded himself while making his trip from Chhattisgarh to a cement factory in East Jaintia Hills, Rawani claimed that he was asked to bribe police officers at numerous checkposts across Meghalaya time and again.
Rawani said his overall police bribe expenditure during the journey was Rs 2,550, of which Rs 1,750 was allegedly paid within a 200-km distance in Meghalaya. He said he was detained many times along the Shillong Bypass–Jowai road and demanded to pay Rs 50 to Rs 100 per stop. At some weighbridges, he was allegedly charged Rs 500.
The vlog also provided a Rs 200 receipt issued by an authorized agent of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) alleging a violation in terms of illegal trading done by a non-tribal commercial vehicle. The presence of the receipt further increased fears regarding the larger system of unofficial and semi-official cessations on transport vehicles in the area.
