New Delhi/Itanagar, Nov 6 — The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 6.77 crore in connection with the Trans-Arunachal Highway (TAH) land acquisition compensation scam, taking the total value of proceeds of crime secured in the case to Rs 16.90 crore, the central probe agency said on Friday.
The ED's Itanagar Sub-Zonal office has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 6.77 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in the TAH land acquisition compensation scam, as "value thereof" of proceeds of crime identified during further investigation, an official statement said.
According to the ED, the attached properties include a residential property at Yeggo village at Aalo in West Siang district, in the name of Late Kemo Lollen, the then Ziro Deputy Commissioner, attached to the extent of Rs 2.40 crore, JEYOUCH HUTS Resort at Tigdo Village at Doimukh in Papum Pare district, in the name of Toko That Jotam with Rs 2 crore and a residential and commercial property at A-Sector in Naharlagun in Papum Pare district, in the name of Tadar Babin with Rs 2.37 crore.
ED investigation was initiated on the basis of FIR registered by Special Investigation Cell (Vigilance) Police Station at Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, regarding large-scale irregularities in assessment and disbursement of land acquisition compensation under the TAH Project (Potin-Bopi stretch).
The fact-finding committee constituted by the Arunachal Pradesh government found excess compensation payments of around Rs 44.98 crore, made to fictitious/ineligible beneficiaries on the basis of manipulated records by public servants in connivance with private persons, causing wrongful loss to the government exchequer.
The ED statement said that the persons whose properties have been attached are Late Kemo Lollen, the then Deputy Commissioner at Ziro, who oversaw the disbursement of compensation; Toko Taje, the then Junior Engineer of Yazali Division, involved in structural assessment of compensation claims, whose family-held property standing in the name of his son has been attached; and Tadar Babin, who was fraudulently included as a beneficiary without any lawful entitlement.
Further investigation, including scrutiny of bank accounts, documentary evidence and statements recorded under the PMLA, revealed additional proceeds of crime which were not covered under the earlier attachment.
Investigation revealed that an amount of Rs 2 crore was allegedly paid in cash to Late Kemo Lollen, the then Ziro Deputy Commissioner in consideration of fraudulent inclusion of an ineligible person as a beneficiary in the compensation records.
It was further revealed that Rs 40 lakh was routed through M/s Tenzin Enterprises and was subsequently handed over to Late Kemo Lollen through his son.
Investigation also revealed that Rs 2 crore was transferred to the bank account of Toko Youch, wife of Toko Taje, which was subsequently utilised and layered through various accounts.
In addition, it was found that Tadar Babin had received compensation of around Rs 5.47 crore despite possessing no land, structure or other asset in the project area and having no lawful entitlement to compensation.
Earlier actions in the case include freezing of bank balances/deposits aggregating to around Rs 5.14 crore, seizure of Rs 2.62 crore in cash during searches conducted on February 6, 2026 (Rs 2.40 crore from Likha Maj and Rs 22 lakh from Tadar Babin) and attachment of immovable properties of Tadar Babin and Likha Maj worth around Rs 2.37 crore under Provisional Attachment Order on March 23, 2026.
With the present attachment, the total proceeds of crime secured in the case stands at around Rs 16.90 crore.
The ED had earlier filed a charge sheet on March 12, 2024, of which the Special PMLA Court, Yupia took cognisance on March 14, 2024, followed by a supplementary charge sheet filed on March 30.
Further investigation is underway.