Arunachal Pradesh law enforcement authorities at Naharlagun Police Station have apprehended three individuals involved in a major extortion attempt against a government contractor. The accused allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 2.40 crore by falsely offering to facilitate the disbursement of pending bills exceeding Rs 17 crore for a road construction project executed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
Fabricated Documents and High Level Claims
The three arrested individuals have been identified by law enforcement as Toluk Lombi, Dubi Ete, and Rajesh Kumar Singh. According to the investigation, the suspects targeted the victim after learning about his delayed government remuneration. They claimed that Rajesh Kumar Singh maintained influential contacts within central government ministries in New Delhi and could leverage those connections to expedite the release of the funds.
To convince the victim of their influence, the trio provided him with a forged official document that purportedly showed central approval for his pending Rs 17 crore payment. However, the plot unraveled when the contractor took the letter to the office of the Chief Engineer of the Rural Works Department (RWD) for verification. Departmental officials carefully reviewed the paperwork and informed the contractor that the document was completely fake and had never been issued by any government authority.
Court Challenge and Arrest in Guwahati
Realizing he was being defrauded, the contractor lodged an official complaint at the Naharlagun Police Station, prompting investigators to register a case under statutory provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Seeking to avoid prosecution, Rajesh Kumar Singh approached the judiciary requesting the court to quash the registered FIR. The court reviewed the matter and rejected his plea on August 13, giving police the clearance to move forward with coercive action.
Armed with judicial approval, a dedicated police team was mobilized to track down the prime suspect. Officers traveled to Guwahati and successfully apprehended Singh on August 25. Upon being produced before the magistrate, he was remanded to six days of police custody for intensive interrogation.
Public Advisory and Ongoing Probe
Naharlagun Superintendent of Police Nyelam Nega stated that investigators are currently working to reconstruct the entire sequence of events and ascertain the specific roles played by Toluk Lombi, Dubi Ete, and Rajesh Kumar Singh in the crime. The police chief issued an advisory cautioning contractors and citizens against relying on middlemen who promise to clear official dues or secure administrative approvals through alleged high level government contacts, urging the public to report all such demands immediately to law enforcement authorities.
