Sri Vijaya Puram, Aug. 26: A set of purportedly leaked audio recordings has triggered a controversy in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with activist and former Lok Sabha candidate Manoj Pal alleging that ₹3 lakh was demanded from a cargo operator and that personnel associated with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) were part of an alleged payment arrangement linked to overloaded vehicles.
At the centre of Pal’s allegations is Mohammad Yamin, founder of local media platform News 24×7, whom Pal has accused of demanding the money and being involved in an alleged arrangement under which cargo operators could purportedly avoid enforcement action at weigh-bridges.
Yamin has denied demanding ₹3 lakh, according to Pal’s subsequent account of his response. Pal said Yamin maintained that only ₹2,000 had been sought and had, in turn, accused Pal of corruption.
The Wave Andaman has not independently authenticated the recordings, conclusively established the identities of the speakers, verified whether the audio is complete and unedited, or established whether any money was actually demanded or paid. It has also not independently established the involvement of any RTO employee. The allegations therefore remain unproven.
Tapes Raise Questions
Pal, who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and has remained active in raising local civic and administrative issues, claims the recording was provided to him by the person from whom the money was allegedly demanded.
The audio circulated by Pal contains references to money, timing and locations for a meeting. Pal has identified one of the voices as Yamin and interpreted a portion in which ₹3 lakh is mentioned as evidence of a demand for that amount.
The conversation also contains references to Attam Pahad and a garage area, which Pal claims were connected with arrangements concerning the alleged payment.
The recording by itself, however, does not establish why ₹3 lakh was being discussed or whether the conversation amounted to an illegal demand. Establishing that would require authentication of the original recording, examination of its complete context and corroboration from those involved.
Pal’s allegations extend beyond the purported ₹3-lakh demand. He has alleged that vehicle owners or drivers were being asked to pay ₹2,000 per vehicle for favourable treatment concerning overloaded cargo. According to him, the alleged arrangement allowed vehicles to avoid enforcement action despite carrying excess loads.
No independent evidence establishing the existence of such a payment mechanism has been verified by The Wave Andaman.
RTO Role Alleged
The most serious aspect of Pal’s claims concerns the alleged involvement of an RTO Junior Engineer.
Pal has alleged that money collected through the purported arrangement was shared with the official, with half allegedly going to the Junior Engineer and the remainder being retained by Yamin.
The Wave Andaman has not seen independent evidence establishing that any RTO employee received money, participated in such an arrangement or provided favourable treatment to any vehicle operator. The allegation should therefore not be construed as evidence of wrongdoing by the official concerned.
Nevertheless, the alleged involvement of a public servant takes the matter beyond a personal dispute between Pal and Yamin.
If money was solicited or accepted to influence the enforcement of rules governing overloaded vehicles, and if a government employee knowingly participated in such an arrangement, the matter could potentially involve corruption in the discharge of an official regulatory function.
Pal has also made several other allegations concerning Yamin and referred to earlier controversies involving transport operators, airport fines, shipping services, bus-stand allotments, alleged illegal construction and business and land-related matters. These additional claims have not been independently verified and do not establish the central allegations arising from the recordings.
Yamin’s detailed response to the entire set of allegations was not independently available to The Wave Andaman. He must be afforded a full opportunity to respond to the accusations against him.
Probe Now Necessary
Pal claims he possesses several additional recordings and has released only some of them. He has called upon the Andaman and Nicobar Police and the Administration to investigate the matter and has threatened protests in North and Middle Andaman, including a possible National Highway blockade, if he believes authorities fail to act.
A formal investigation could secure the original recordings and subject them to forensic examination to determine their authenticity, continuity and the identities of the speakers. The cargo operator whom Pal says supplied the recording could also be questioned to establish the circumstances surrounding the conversation and whether any money was actually demanded or paid.
Investigators could, subject to applicable legal procedures, examine relevant messages, financial transactions, call records and CCTV footage. Weigh-bridge records, vehicle weights, inspection reports and challans could also help determine whether overloaded vehicles escaped enforcement action and whether any such instances corresponded with the alleged payments.
The Wave Andaman believes the allegations are sufficiently serious to warrant a credible, impartial and time-bound investigation by the Andaman and Nicobar Administration and Police, particularly because they potentially involve corruption by a public servant.
Such an investigation must carry no presumption of guilt. Pal should provide investigators with the original recordings and any other evidence in his possession. Yamin should be given a full opportunity to place his version on record, as should any government employee whose conduct comes under scrutiny.
If the allegations are substantiated, responsibility should be fixed and action taken in accordance with law. Equally, if the recordings have been misinterpreted, selectively presented or fail to substantiate the allegations, the findings should make that clear.
For now, the alleged ₹3-lakh demand, the purported ₹2,000-per-vehicle payment arrangement and the alleged sharing of money with an RTO official remain unproven.
But allegations that money may have been sought to influence an official enforcement function, and that a public servant may potentially have benefited, cannot be dismissed merely as another war of words. They deserve a thorough investigation.
