ED Seizes ₹2.62 Crore in Trans-Arunachal Highway Land Compensation Scam Raids

The Directorate of Enforcement carried out coordinated search operations at six residential premises across Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in connection with the Trans-Arunachal Highway land compensation scam, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

During the raids, ED seized cash worth ₹2.62 crore, including ₹2.40 crore from key private beneficiary Likha Maj and ₹22 lakh from Tadar Babin. Bank balances of about ₹1.77 crore linked to Babin and Bharat Lingu, former DLRSO, Ziro, were frozen. Investigators also recovered incriminating documents and property records from former officials and associated private beneficiaries.

The probe has revealed large-scale manipulation in land acquisition compensation for the highway project, including fictitious beneficiaries, inflated assessments and diversion of government funds into unauthorised bank accounts and fixed deposits. Authorities estimate wrongful loss to the exchequer at nearly ₹45 crore, with fixed deposits of around ₹175 crore created from compensation funds without approval.

Further investigation is ongoing.