Guwahati, Nov 14: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Tonia Langkam, a key accused who had been absconding for 16 years in a major horticulture subsidy scam linked to the National Horticulture Board’s Guwahati office.
Langkam was apprehended on Thursday from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. He is accused of orchestrating the fraudulent submission of 173 applications under the NHB scheme “Development of Commercial Horticulture through Production and Post-Harvest Management” using fake applicants from Lohit, Lower Dibang Valley and East Siang districts.
According to the CBI, the case was registered in April 2007 based on source information. Investigations later revealed that the applications and supporting documents were fabricated at the Guwahati residence of another accused, Tarik Tolam, with the help of local youths and under the supervision of Langkam and his associates. The objective, officials said, was to illegally obtain government subsidies meant for horticulture development.
A chargesheet in the case was filed in December 2009, after which Langkam went into hiding and remained untraceable until his arrest this week.
Following his apprehension, Langkam was produced before the Special Judge for CBI cases in Guwahati, who remanded him to judicial custody.
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