Prashant Jadhav, owner of Prashant Trailer Service, Kalamboli (Navi Mumbai), has been booked by Ramtek police for obstructing government work, using casteist slurs, and threatening a Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) of the Regional Transport Office (RTO). Jadhav is accused of working on behalf of certain senior officials from the Transport Commissioner’s Office and attempting to coerce RTO staff posted at checkposts into collecting illegal money for them. The complainant, Gagesh Rameshrao Rathod (45), a resident of Naveen Subhedar Layout, Nagpur, is employed as an MVI at the Nagpur city RTO. The incident occurred at the Kandri border checkpost on July 31 at 8.21 am while he was on duty. According to the police, Prashant Jadhav arrived at the checkpost in a car (MH-46/BK-2617) along with another person and began recording videos on his mobile phone within the government premises without permission. When Rathod questioned him, Jadhav allegedly threatened that his trucks should be allowed to pass unchecked, or there would be consequences.

 

He also questioned why the “procedure” prescribed by senior officials was not being followed. Rathod further alleged that Jadhav used caste-based slurs during the altercation. When Rathod refused to comply with the demand, Jadhav reportedly became aggressive and created a ruckus, which disrupted government vehicle checking operations for around 30 minutes. Eyewitnesses to the incident included driver Vijay Sontakke and an Adani company employee. Based on the complaint, Ramtek police have registered a case against Prashant Jadhav under Sections 132, 221, 352, and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita as well as Sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s), and 3(2)(va) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Further investigation is underway.

 

 

Prashant Jadhav has a history of facilitating the illegal movement of cargo trucks and has previously threatened RTO officials with false complaints to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Similar instances were reported at the Gondia and Aurangabad RTO offices. Sources reveal that Jadhav is allegedly working for certain 1999-batch officers from the Transport Department who are involved in illicit activities. When officials from the Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar RTOs refused to comply with their demands, a conspiracy was hatched to harass them by sending Jadhav to these offices. In one case, an officer posted in Jalgaon was caught red-handed by the ACB while accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakh. The complainant in that case was the same regional officer who had earlier refused to follow the illegal instructions. As part of a revenge strategy, Patil and his associates are now allegedly targeting other officials, including Rathod, by making false allegations against them.