THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Motor Vehicles Department has suspended Ernakulam RTO T.M. Jerson, who was arrested by the Vigilance in a bribery case. The Transport Department has issued an order in this regard.

The Vigilance caught Jerson on Wednesday while accepting money and liquor as bribe for a bus permit. VACB had checked the bank accounts of Jerson's family members the previous day. The Vigilance handed over the report related to his bribery to the Motor Vehicles Department yesterday. Agents Saji and Ramapadiyar were also arrested in the bribery case, apart from Jerson. The Vigilance took action based on a complaint by a Chellanam native.

The route permit of a private bus operating on the Chellanam-Fort Kochi route had expired on the third of this month. An application was made to the Ernakulam Regional Transport Office to grant the permit to another bus in the name of the complainant's friend. Jerson granted a temporary permit to the bus until the 6th of this month and then deliberately delayed granting the permit citing various reasons. Ramapadiyar met the complainant in person and informed him that Jerson had told him to pay a bribe to Saji for granting the permit. With this, the complainant informed the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vigilance Unit, Ernakulam.