Arunachal anti-corruption bureau arrests land records officer over highway compensation scandal

The Anti-Corruption Bureau in Arunachal Pradesh has arrested a senior land records official over the alleged diversion of compensation money linked to the Lada–Sarli Frontier Highway project, a case that has raised serious concerns about the handling of public funds.

The accused, Takam Kechak (45), serving as District Land Records and Settlement Officer (DLRSO), was taken into custody on December 17 following an investigation into suspected misappropriation of compensation meant for affected landowners in East Kameng district. The highway project passes through the Seppa area and is considered strategically important for the state.

According to the ACB, the case was registered as ACB Police Station Case No. 13/2025 after a joint complaint was submitted by members and office bearers of the All Nyishi Youth Association, East Kameng Unit. The complaint alleged irregularities in the disbursement of compensation funds related to the project.

Investigators said the arrest followed detailed scrutiny of official records, questioning of concerned individuals and technical examination of financial and land documents. Kechak, a resident of Palin in Kra Daadi district, was produced before the appropriate authority after his arrest.

The ACB stated that the investigation remains underway and that all financial transactions and administrative decisions connected to the compensation process in Arunachal are being examined to determine the full extent of the alleged misappropriation.