Basta: Police have busted an alleged fake Regional Transport Office (RTO) operating near the Laxmannath toll gate on National Highway-16 in Basta area of Odisha’s Baleshwar district and arrested one person in connection with the case.

The arrested accused has been identified as Shambhu Sahu, a resident of the Barsol police station area in neighbouring Jharkhand state. Another person allegedly involved in the racket reportedly fled the spot.

According to police, Jaleswar police received information about illegal collection of money near the Laxmannath toll gate and conducted a raid in the area on Friday. During the operation, police initially arrested one person and subsequently detected the existence of an unauthorised office allegedly being used for collecting money by posing as transport department officials.

Police then raided the premises and seized several items, including fake fine receipts of the transport departments of Odisha and West Bengal, stamp papers, a printer, a computer and a motorcycle.

The accused allegedly posed as an RTO official and collected money from people by issuing fake challans or receipts.

Jaleswar police have registered a case in connection with the incident. The arrested accused was produced before a court.

Police have launched a further investigation to identify other persons involved in the alleged racket and determine whether more people were operating behind the fake RTO office.