The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has busted an illegal collection and bribery network in Jhargram and arrested a police constable and three alleged touts for allegedly extorting money from trucks and tractors operating in the area.
Based on the evidence of the operation, ACB acted on allegations that a group of touts was collecting money from vehicle owners and operators on behalf of a constable attached to Jhargram Police Station. The alleged racket apparently targeted commercial vehicles like trucks and tractors.
The investigation started when ACB officials caught three touts red-handed while they were receiving illegal gratification from a truck owner. The arrests led investigators to collect more evidence about the suspected collection network and its alleged connections to the police constable.
One of the arrested touts said in a chat that around ₹5.54 lakh had already been collected from truck operators for the constable. The money was allegedly being taken from the network as illegal gratification.
ACB arrests police constable, 3 touts in alleged illegal collection racket
— Kamalika Sengupta (@KamalikaSengupt) August 26, 2026
ACB busts alleged network collecting illegal gratification from trucks and tractors in Jhargram.
Three touts allegedly caught red-handed while accepting bribe from a truck owner.
One tout allegedly… pic.twitter.com/0Dm4Rbj6ji
The ACB seized ₹5.54 lakh in the operation. The investigation is looking into the entire amount of illegal collection and tracing the money in the hands of the alleged intermediaries and the police official.
One interesting detail that has emerged from the investigation relates to the way the constable’s contact number was supposedly stored in one of the tout’s mobile phones. The number, as it was reported, was saved under the name “Jhargram Manager.” The investigators will look for calls, messages and other digital correspondence, according to the investigators.
The ACB arrested the police constable and all three alleged touts after the operation. The arrests are a significant step in the investigation into suspected corruption for commercial vehicle operators in the Jhargram area as well.
Police are going to look at how much of a racket existed. The illegal collections were likely limited to a particular group of vehicles, or the network was much broader across the district.
The ACB also will be looking into whether other people were involved in the alleged operation. Financial records, mobile phone data, communications and statements from truck and tractor operators could be key to the investigation.
The accusation is particularly serious as it involves a police officer and suspected intermediaries who are now alleged to have been taking money from people. Anti-corruption agencies generally look closely at such cases to see if illegal gratification was offered or accepted in exchange for favourable treatment or in exchange for performance or not to perform duties in an official position.
The seizure of ₹5.54 lakh is likely to be part of the evidence as investigators reconstruct the alleged collection process. They’ll need to establish the source of the money, the intended recipient and the role played by each accused.
The arrests also raise concerns about informal networks of intermediaries, commonly referred to as touts, that can emerge around government and law enforcement systems. Such networks, the government said, can create channels through which citizens or commercial operators are pressured to make unofficial payments.
The investigation is ongoing, and the allegations against the arrested individuals will be investigated in court. Documentary, financial and digital evidence will be collected in the case, and further arrests and charges may be warranted.
The Jhargram operation can therefore become a wider investigation if there is evidence that the collection network involved more police officers, intermediaries, or vehicle operators. At present, the ACB is investigating the exact role of the arrested constable and the three touts and the overall scope of the alleged illegal gratification racket.
