Itanagar: A Guwahati-based businessman has been arrested for allegedly duping local contractors of more than Rs. 52 lakh in a BSNL tower construction project in Arunachal Pradesh, police said on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old accused, who had been on the run for nearly a year, was apprehended from Guwahati in a joint operation by Arunachal Pradesh and Assam police teams.
According to West Siang Superintendent of Police Kardak Riba, the businessman secured sub-contracts through his company for building BSNL mobile towers in Aalo and other locations across Arunachal Pradesh.
However, despite contractors completing civil work for seven towers, he allegedly withheld their payments after receiving full amounts from the primary contractor.
“After collecting the funds, the accused went incommunicado, switched off his phone, and deliberately evaded both the complainants and law enforcement agencies,” Riba said.
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The SP described the arrest, made on August 25, as a major breakthrough, revealing a broader nexus of fraudulent practices in government-linked projects.
Preliminary investigation suggests the involvement of the accused’s associates, with similar complaints surfacing from Papum Pare, Daporijo, and other districts.
A case has been filed under multiple sections related to cheating and criminal conspiracy. Police said efforts are on to trace other individuals connected to the racket and uncover the full extent of the fraud.
