KOTTAYAM: Assistant motor vehicle inspectors V Shajan, M R Anil Kumar and Ajith Sivan of Enforcement RT office, have been suspended for accepting bribe from owners of taurus lorry. The vigilance registered a case against three and agent Rajeev. Transport Commissioner S Sreejith suspended the officials based on the report of the vigilance.

The irregularity was noticed in the overload inspection conducted by the vigilance and anti-corruptions bureau statewide on January 20. The speeding vehicles were found during the inspection conducted on the MC road at Kuravilangad. The vigilance had found in the preliminary investigation that the officers of the motor vehicle department had taken a bribe of Rs 7,500 from each vehicle to avoid seizure of vehicles. Rajeev, the mediator, used to send the bribes to the officials' accounts.

The bribe amount of Rs 2.64 lakh came to the account of Shajan's cousin Babu from December 6 to January 17 and Rs 23,000 to M R Anil's friend and Thiruvananthapuram Homeo Medical College employee Neethu S Nair's account and Rs 3.77 lakh to Sreejith's own account. The officials helped Rajeev, also a lorry owner, to transport soil without a pass.

Close relationship with Rajeev
The corrupt officials have a ‘bhai bhai’ relationship with Rajeev. The pictures of officers going on a picnic with Rajeev had also surfaced.