Guwahati: Arunachal Pradesh Police have arrested a 41-year-old businessman from Guwahati for his alleged involvement in a Rs 34.33 crore investment fraud case involving forged government documents, impersonation, and false claims of high-level political and bureaucratic connections.
The accused, identified as Rishiraj Borkotoky, was arrested on June 20. Police also seized five mobile phones and a luxury vehicle worth approximately Rs 1.5 crore during the operation.
Police said a case was registered against Borkotoky at Banderdewa Police Station following a complaint lodged by businessman Rajesh Agarwal.
Naharlagun Superintendent of Police (SP) Nyelam Nega said a case was registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, on June 5 and was entrusted to Sub-Inspector Koj Tada for investigation.
According to the complaint, the accused persuaded the investor to invest in a proposed Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) manufacturing project in Assam.
SP Nega said the accused projected himself as a financially influential businessman with strong connections in government and political circles.
“To gain the complainant’s trust, he allegedly produced forged documents purportedly issued by the Revenue Department under the Union Finance Ministry and the Office of the Cabinet Secretary,” Nega said.
He added that Borkotoky created a fake WhatsApp account displaying the profile picture of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and shared photographs suggesting close proximity to prominent political figures.
“Police are also verifying the authenticity of an alleged voice call made from the account,” the SP added.
Believing these claims to be genuine, the complainant allegedly transferred more than ?34.33 crore over a period beginning in 2022.
Following technical and conventional intelligence inputs, the accused was apprehended in Guwahati and later produced before the JMFC Court at Yupia in Naharlagun, which remanded him to 10 days of police custody for further interrogation.
SP Nega said scrutiny of bank transactions, KYC records, electronic communications, screenshots, and suspected forged documents has so far corroborated significant portions of the complaint.
“The investigation has also indicated that the alleged proceeds of the crime were routed through accounts linked to associates, family members, and business entities, whose roles are now under examination,” the SP said.
The seized electronic devices have been sent for forensic examination, while verification of the purported government documents is underway. Nega added that investigators are also examining whether the alleged voice attributed to the Assam Chief Minister was generated using artificial intelligence or created through voice impersonation techniques.
He said efforts are continuing to trace the complete money trail, identify all beneficiaries and co-conspirators, recover the proceeds of the crime, and establish the full extent of the alleged conspiracy.
Rishiraj Borkotoky, who hails from Dibrugarh, is also known as a close associate of Shyamkanu Mahanta, organiser of the Northeast Festival and one of the key accused in the singer Zubeen Garg death case.
He was one of the sponsored partners of Mahanta’s Northeast Festival. Borkotoky, who owns a restaurant in Guwahati, also launched a daily newspaper in 2023. However, the publication ceased operations after just three months.