Now Reading: ED attaches Rs 6.77 crore in Arunachal highway scam
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ED attaches Rs 6.77 crore in Arunachal highway scam
The Story in Brief
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 6.77 crore in connection with the Trans-Arunachal Highway land acquisition compensation scam, taking the total proceeds of crime secured to Rs 16.90 crore. The attachments, made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, include a residential property at Yeggo village in Aalo, JEYOUCH HUTS Resort in Doimukh, and a residential-cum-commercial property in Naharlagun.
The ED investigation, based on an FIR by the Special Investigation Cell (Vigilance) Police Station in Itanagar, follows a fact-finding committee report that found excess compensation payments of about Rs 44.98 crore to fictitious or ineligible beneficiaries. The properties were attached in the names of late Kemo Lollen, the then Deputy Commissioner of Ziro, Toko That Jotam, son of former Junior Engineer Toko Taje, and Tadar Babin, who allegedly received Rs 5.47 crore despite having no land or assets in the project area.
Earlier actions included freezing bank balances worth Rs 5.14 crore, seizing Rs 2.62 crore in cash on 6 February 2026, and attaching properties worth Rs 2.37 crore on 23 March 2026. The ED filed a charge sheet on 12 March 2024, taken cognisance of on 14 March 2024, and a supplementary charge sheet on 30 March 2026. Further investigation is underway.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both sources carry nearly identical coverage of the ED’s latest attachment, likely drawing from the same IANS syndicated feed. hubnetwork.in and Punjab Kesari each lead with the Rs 6.77 crore figure and report the same total of Rs 16.90 crore. Neither outlet adds independent framing or commentary, both reproduce the ED press release faithfully, including the same details on the properties, the alleged cash payments, and the earlier actions. The uniform coverage presents the agency’s account without critical scrutiny or alternative perspectives, such as from the accused or the state government. With no divergence in what is emphasised or omitted, the balanced reading is that this is straight, unvarnished reporting of a law enforcement action. The next concrete step is the ongoing investigation, which the ED says continues.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): hubnetwork.in (neutral report), punjabkesari.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
