<p>A right to information (RTI) activist was Thursday booked after a sting operation he conducted caught officials of the Goa government's transport department seeking bribes at an inter-state checkpost.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The police in Pernem, a sub-district located 35 km north of Panaji, booked Deepak Gadekar, an RTI activist, for "criminal trespass" as well as using "criminal force" and deterring a public servant from discharging his duty.<br /><br />"We received a complaint from Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Ravindra Satardekar that Gadekar entered his office without permission and did some filming. A first information report (FIR) has been filed," police sub-inspector N. Pawar told IANS Thursday.<br /><br />On Sep 2, Gadekar had filmed enforcement officials of the transport department, as well as a "privately employed" agent, collecting small bribes at the checkpost on the Goa-Maharashtra border at Patradevi along the NH-17. The film was telecast Wednesday on local cable news channels. <br /><br />Gadekar claims that the complaint against him is only because officials panicked after being caught on tape. "I have all the evidence. We busted the RTO scam of those who are accepting bribes. They even appointed one 'private' person to collect bribes openly. Shame on the Goa RTO," said Gadekar, who has in the past exposed corruption using RTI. <br /><br />The NH 17 is a major highway connecting Goa to the neighbouring state of Maharashtra.<br /></p>
<p>A right to information (RTI) activist was Thursday booked after a sting operation he conducted caught officials of the Goa government's transport department seeking bribes at an inter-state checkpost.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The police in Pernem, a sub-district located 35 km north of Panaji, booked Deepak Gadekar, an RTI activist, for "criminal trespass" as well as using "criminal force" and deterring a public servant from discharging his duty.<br /><br />"We received a complaint from Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Ravindra Satardekar that Gadekar entered his office without permission and did some filming. A first information report (FIR) has been filed," police sub-inspector N. Pawar told IANS Thursday.<br /><br />On Sep 2, Gadekar had filmed enforcement officials of the transport department, as well as a "privately employed" agent, collecting small bribes at the checkpost on the Goa-Maharashtra border at Patradevi along the NH-17. The film was telecast Wednesday on local cable news channels. <br /><br />Gadekar claims that the complaint against him is only because officials panicked after being caught on tape. "I have all the evidence. We busted the RTO scam of those who are accepting bribes. They even appointed one 'private' person to collect bribes openly. Shame on the Goa RTO," said Gadekar, who has in the past exposed corruption using RTI. <br /><br />The NH 17 is a major highway connecting Goa to the neighbouring state of Maharashtra.<br /></p>