The Ernakulam Regional Transport Officer (RTO) and two others were arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) on charge of bribery on Wednesday.

RTO T.R. Jerson, Saji, and Ramapadiyar were arrested on a petition filed by the manager of a transportation company that operated a private bus on the Chellanam-Fort Kochi route, the permit of which expired on February 3. Reportedly, the petitioner had applied for transferring the permit to another bus operated by the same company. The alleged bribe was reportedly to get this done.

Saji and Ramapadiyar were arrested while accepting ₹5,000 and a bottle of foreign liquor from the petitioner allegedly as bribe on behalf of the RTO.

Later, based on their statements, the RTO was also arrested. As many as 49 bottles of foreign liquor were seized during a raid at the RTO’s house in Edappally. A separate case will be registered in that connection.