The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted a charge sheet to the Special Court in Dimapur under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) regarding the alleged misappropriation of public funds and substandard construction at the new Gauhati High Court complex in Kohima, Nagaland’s state capital. The charge sheet, filed by the ED’s Dimapur Sub-Zonal Office, involves individuals Avituo Sekhose, M/s Hexad Syndicate, Thepfusatuo Rio, Mhalelie Rio, and Vibeilietuo Kets, dated December 29, 2025. The court acknowledged the charge sheet on January 12, 2026.
The ED’s investigation was initiated based on an FIR lodged by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Imphal Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on June 17, 2019. The case, prompted by the Gauhati High Court’s Kohima bench in a PIL (suo moto), focuses on the alleged misappropriation of public funds and substandard construction at the new High Court Complex in Kohima. The FIR cited violations under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, alleging that Nagaland Public Works Department (PWD) officials, in collusion with government contractors, embezzled taxpayer funds during the construction project.
According to the ED’s statement, investigations under the PMLA revealed fraudulent inflation of construction costs by Nagaland PWD officials for two retaining walls at the High Court complex, resulting in an excess payment of around Rs 80.25 lakh to contractor Avituo Sekhose. Similarly, the costs for constructing the High Court complex road and footpath with chequered tiles were inflated, leading to an excess payment of nearly Rs 29.68 lakh to M/s Hexad Syndicate and its associates Thepfusatuo Rio, Mhalelie Rio, and Vibeilietuo Kets. The total Proceeds of Crime identified in the case amount to approximately Rs 1.09 crore.
The ED also issued a provisional attachment order of Rs 96.67 lakh during the investigation. The probe uncovered the involvement of multiple Nagaland PWD officials, resulting in significant losses to the public exchequer.
