A joint team of the CM Flying Squad and the Road Transport Authority (RTA) has unearthed a network allegedly involved in leaking live locations and movement details of enforcement teams to transporters through WhatsApp groups.
Officials said the accused was allegedly tracking and sharing minute-to-minute movements of RTA teams to help overloaded and illegal vehicles evade checks and secure safe passage.
Samalkha police have registered a case against the accused based on the complaint of Surender Singh of the RTA department under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and have initiated an investigation.
In his complaint, Surender alleged that a youth was following RTA officials during inspection drives and sharing their location with transporters. During preliminary investigation, it was found that Ansh alias Harsh, a resident of Garhi Besak village, was running a WhatsApp group used to circulate live locations of the enforcement team.
He alleged that several transporters, drivers and persons involved in illegal vehicle operations were part of the group.
The objective of the accused, according to the complaint, was to track the RTA team and share updates through messages or voice notes, alerting those involved in overloading and illegal transportation.
Officials said the leakage allowed overloaded vehicles to evade enforcement action and also led to revenue loss to the exchequer.
Sub-Inspector Deepak Kumar, SHO Samalkha, said a case has been registered against Ansh under various sections of the BNS and he has been released on bail. His mobile phone has been seized and sent for forensic examination to analyse WhatsApp group activity and uncover the wider network.
Neeraj Jindal, Secretary, RTA, said a joint checking operation was conducted with the CM Flying Squad in Panipat on Thursday. During the drive, a person was caught allegedly following RTA vehicles and sharing their live location as the team moved out of the office.
The accused was handed over to Samalkha police, and further investigation is underway.
