LUCKNOW: A 35-year-old MCA graduate, Alok Kumar Singh, was arrested by UP STF late on Wednesday for masterminding a countrywide toll tax fraud network that spanned over 42 toll plazas in 14 states and siphoned collections for over two years. While the police are trying to figure out the magnitude of the fraud, its extent can be gauged from the fact that at Mirzapur’s Atraula toll plaza alone, the scam resulted in daily losses of Rs 45,000 to the NHAI.
Singh, a software developer with expertise in programming, used his technical skills to create an illegal software system that diverted toll collections to private bank accounts maintained by the gang members.
Singh’s software targeted vehicles without FASTag or with insufficient FASTag balance, which are typically charged double the toll. He developed an unauthorised program that operated alongside the NHAI official software. The receipts generated by his software were designed to mimic official NHAI receipts, making the scam difficult to detect. Investigations revealed that Singh collaborated with toll plaza managers and IT personnel to install the software on toll booth systems.
The diverted toll collections were shared among Singh, the toll plaza operators, and other accomplices. Singh admitted to installing the software at 42 toll plazas himself. Among these were nine toll plazas in Uttar Pradesh, followed by six in Madhya Pradesh (6 toll plazas), four each in Rajasthan, Gujarat & Chhattisgarh, three each in Maharashtra & Jharkhand, two each in Punjab, Assam & West Bengal and one each in Jammu, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana.
Singh’s fraudulent activities were brought to light after intelligence gathering and a detailed probe by the STF. Following his arrest, toll manager Rajeev Kumar Mishra and a toll employee, Manish, involved in the operation were also arrested.
The UP STF said that Manish Mishra (30) is from Madhya Pradesh and a toll booth employee involved in printing fraudulent receipts, while Rajeev Kumar Mishra (32) of Prayagraj is a toll manager and collaborator in the scam. STF seized 2 laptops, a printer, five mobile phones, Rs 19,580 cash, and an MUV. Acting on intelligence, the STF first arrested Alok from near Varanasi’s Babatpur airport on Wednesday, and later his interrogation led to the arrest of Manish Mishra and Rajeev Kumar Mishra from Shivgulam toll plaza on Mirzapur highway.
The STF is now probing other toll plazas implicated in the scam and analysing the seized laptops and software for additional leads.
Additional superintendent of police, STF, Vinod Kumar Singh, said Alok Kumar Singh developed an illegal software capable of bypassing NHAI’s official toll collection system. Installed covertly on toll booth computers, this software allowed the gang to collect and divert toll fees from vehicles without FASTag or with insufficient balance. The fraudulent system generated receipts resembling authentic NHAI ones and displayed transaction details on Alok’s personal laptop for tracking.
The STF ASP revealed that Alok’s software exploited loopholes in the NHAI’s system, specifically targeting vehicles without FASTag.
Transactions and details of non-FASTag vehicles were monitored through Singh’s laptop, which had direct access to the software. The ASP added that legally, 50% of tolls collected from non-FASTag vehicles should go to NHAI’s account, but the gang siphoned off these funds, splitting them among toll plaza owners, managers, IT staff, and themselves.
“Alok admitted to installing the software at over 42 toll plazas across the country and operating the scam for the past two years. He revealed that his accomplices, Sawant and Sukhantu, managed similar setups at over 42 toll plazas nationwide,” said the officer. Alok confessed to laundering the earnings through his bank accounts and digital wallets. The STF is investigating further to uncover additional fraudulent setups and individuals involved.
To avoid suspicion, Singh’s system ensured that only 5% of tolls from non-FASTag vehicles were recorded in NHAI’s official software. The rest was marked as exempted or unregistered.
The STF officials who interrogated the accused mastermind said that he was educated at a private university and did not get a good job. In 2021, he worked for some time at a toll plaza.
