A road project meant to connect villages. A contractor waiting for his dues. And three men who allegedly smelled an opportunity — a dangerous one.
Naharlagun Police have arrested three individuals in connection with a brazen fraud involving a PMGSY road project, where a contractor was allegedly duped using a forged government letter claiming his pending bill of over Rs 17 crore had been cleared. The accused — Toluk Lombi, Dubi Ete, and Rajesh Kumar Singh — are now facing charges under Sections 318(4) and 35 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The Bait: A Promise of Influence
The scheme, as police describe it, was almost textbook in its audacity. The accused reportedly approached the contractor and told him they could help release his long-pending PMGSY payment — but only if he paid them Rs 2.40 crore first. Their pitch? That Rajesh Kumar Singh had strong connections with central government officials who could pull the right strings. It’s the kind of claim that unfortunately still finds takers, especially when a contractor has been waiting months for money he’s rightfully owed. The contractor eventually handed over money, believing the deal was real.
The Letter That Unravelled Everything
To seal the deception, the accused handed the contractor a document that purportedly showed his Rs 17 crore bill had been officially cleared. It looked convincing enough — until it wasn’t. When the contractor approached the Chief Engineer’s office of the Rural Works Department (RWD) to follow up on the payment, officials there told him the letter was fake. Not delayed paperwork. Not a miscommunication. Completely fabricated. That’s when the complaint was filed at Naharlagun Police Station.
Accused Tries Court Route — And Fails
Rajesh Kumar Singh did not go quietly. He approached the court seeking to quash the FIR entirely, likely banking on legal technicalities to walk free. The court, however, wasn’t convinced and rejected his plea on August 13 — clearing the way for police to push ahead with the investigation. A police team then traveled all the way to Guwahati, where Singh was traced and arrested on August 25. He was subsequently remanded to six days in police custody. Lombi and Ete were arrested separately as part of the same case.
SP Issues Sharp Warning to Contractors
Naharlagun SP Nyelam Nega, while confirming the arrests, also took a moment to send out a message that every contractor in Arunachal Pradesh should hear. He cautioned those working on government projects to be deeply wary of middlemen who claim political or official connections and demand money to facilitate payments. His advice was direct — verify any such claims yourself, directly with the concerned department, before parting with a single rupee.
Government road projects in remote northeast India are already plagued by delays and bureaucratic bottlenecks. When fraudsters exploit that frustration, it’s not just the contractor who suffers — it’s the villages still waiting for those roads. Cases like this are a reminder that the fight against corruption has to happen on every front, not just at the top.
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