Babus beat up upright IIT student

He refuses to pay bribe for getting driving licence

IIM-Lucknow graduate S Manjunath’s killing in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri district in 2005 had sparked a nationwide outrage. Now, an IIT student faced the wrath of corrupt officials in Hardoi district. In Manjunath’s case, he had threatened to expose a fuel adulteration racket.

Six years have passed since the incident. In the lates case, IIT-Kharagpur student, Rahul, was assaulted by babus of the transport department in UP’s Hardoi district after he refused to pay a bribe for his driving licence.

Rahul, who recorded the verbal abuse received at the transport office on his cellphone and uploaded the clip on video sharing site YouTube, has got the entire nation backing him.

Rahul, a resident of Hardoi, is studying chemical engineering. He had come to meet his parents in December last year when the incident happened.

When he went to the regional transport office, the IIT student got the taste of the country’s ‘corrupt’ system.

Although he had produced all necessary documents, he was asked to pay Rs 100 by Anil Shukla, an official in the transport department. Shukla allegedly refused to issue a driving licence unless he was paid.

When Rahul threatened to file a complaint, Shukla and some other officials assaulted him.

According to Rahul, even senior police officials asked him to reach a “compromise” with the transport officials and not to pursue the matter.

However, police let off Shukla after keeping him in custody for some time. No action has been taken against him.

Rahul’s clip on YouTube has drawn sharp reactions from the public. Finally, the district authorities came under pressure to act against Shukla. More than a month after the incident, Sukhla has now been suspended.

As for Rahul, his neighbours are backing him.