SHILLONG, July 1: The state government on Tuesday issued a stern ultimatum to police officials accused of demanding bribes from truckers on national highways.
“I would like to warn any officers—if they are in the habit of collecting money or extorting illegally, we will take stern action accordingly,” said Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home (Police), Prestone Tynsong, as public outrage mounted over the revelations.
Tynsong admitted the government is aware of “a lot of such allegations”
and urged the public to report such incidents directly to senior officials or to him personally. “If there are any allegations of officers taking money from truck drivers or owners, I request that complaints be quietly submitted to higher authorities or to me directly, and strict action will be taken,” he stated.
The government’s warning followed the release of a vlog by Rajesh Rawani, a truck driver and YouTuber with 2.41 million subscribers, who documented his journey from Chhattisgarh to a cement plant in East Jaintia Hills.
While the video showcased Meghalaya’s lush landscapes, it also revealed a darker reality: alleged bribe collection by police at multiple highway checkpoints.
“My total police kharcha (expenditure) from Chhattisgarh to Meghalaya was Rs 2,550, and out of that, Rs 1,750 was spent along a 200-km stretch in Meghalaya,” Rawani said in the vlog.
He claimed he was stopped several times along the Shillong Bypass–Jowai route and forced to pay between Rs 50 and Rs 100 at each stop. “At some weighbridges, I was even asked to give Rs 500,” he revealed.
“Wherever they raised their hands, we stopped, and we had to give money. There’s no point in fighting or running away,” he added, bluntly portraying what he described as a routine extortion practice.
The vlog also showed a receipt for Rs 200 issued by an authorised agent of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council, citing detection of illegal trading by non-tribal commercial vehicles.
The viral video has triggered widespread public outrage, increasing pressure on the government to act against what many allege is a long-standing and unchecked abuse of power.
