Arunachal Resident Defrauded of Rs 92 Lakh in Mobile Tower Scam, Accused Dheeraj Pao Arrested
In a significant breakthrough, a man named Dheeraj Pao has been arrested in Guwahati for allegedly defrauding Jumda Padu, a resident of Arunachal Pradesh, of Rs 92 lakh. Pao had convinced Padu to invest in a fake project for installing mobile towers in Arunachal Pradesh, police confirmed on Friday.
Superintendent of Police Rohit Rajbir Singh stated that Pao lured Padu into the non-existent scheme, collecting a large sum of money under false pretenses. Despite the hefty payments, no towers were installed, and Pao failed to return the money. Pao had also been evading all communication with the victim, further raising suspicion.
After a detailed investigation and intelligence gathering, the police team tracked Pao to his residence in Guwahati, leading to his arrest on Thursday evening. The arrest was made in coordination with the Assam Police.
This arrest follows a similar case from July when Beauty Das, a former collector for two cooperative societies in Nirjuli, was arrested in Cooch Behar, West Bengal. Das is accused of defrauding multiple residents, including Pintu Taid and Dugi Vivek, of Rs 27.2 lakh while working at the Demorijo Multipurpose Cooperative Society and Happy Thrift and Credit Society. She allegedly collected Rs 7.2 lakh from Taid, Rs 20 lakh from Vivek, and funds from 23 other individuals.
A case has been registered at the Nirjuli police station under the relevant sections, according to SI Shakti Lamgu, the investigating officer in the Das case.