Bongaigaon District Transport Officer (DTO) Deepak Patowary has been arrested by police in Guwahati amid an investigation into a major vehicle registration scam. Patowary was apprehended near Arya Hospital in the Rehabari area, where authorities are conducting raids at his residence to gather additional evidence.
This arrest follows serious allegations that the Bongaigaon District Transport Office registered 417 vehicles using forged documents. Reports suggest the scam involved the re-registration of vehicles from Lakshadweep under false identities, aimed at evading legal checks and regulations.
The fraud was uncovered when senior transport officials seized documents from the Bongaigaon office, prompting an in-depth investigation into the allegations. Concerns had been escalating regarding the office’s involvement in questionable practices, leading to the inquiry that resulted in Patowary’s arrest.
Authorities are now assessing the scope of the fraud and whether other officials may also be implicated in this extensive vehicle registration racket, which has raised alarms within the state’s transport department.