In a major development in Assam, Mukesh Jalan, owner of Sadguru Engineering & Allied Services Pvt Ltd, was arrested by Jorhat Police from Guwahati on Tuesday over alleged financial irregularities in the NH 715 construction project.
The arrest followed a complaint lodged by local contractors at Teok police station, who claimed that Jalan’s company abandoned the highway project without completing it, allegedly defaulting on payments totaling around Rs 4 crore. The contractors had supplied labor and materials for the four-lane National Highway 715 project, formerly NH 37.
The FIR was filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 316(5), 318(4), 351(3), and 3(5). Despite several meetings earlier this year, chaired by the District Commissioner with NHIDCL and company officials, the disputes remained unresolved.
Jalan has been brought to Teok police station, and investigations are ongoing. The case has sparked long-standing protests by student and civic organizations, including AJYCP and AASU, over delays, alleged substandard work, and hardships faced by commuters on this key Upper Assam highway.
Police are now examining the financial and contractual records of Sadguru Engineering to trace dues owed and determine further legal action.
