Police in Kerala’s Kozhikode have registered a criminal case against six toll plaza employees for allegedly siphoning off over ₹7 lakh by diverting driver payments into private bank accounts. The fraud occurred at the Olavanna toll plaza in Pantheerankavu between September 2 and October 5. Authorities confirmed that all six accused were contract workers originally from North India. While officers have taken one suspect into custody, five others remain on the run after fleeing to their home states.

How the digital trickery unfolded

The scam specifically targeted motorists who arrived at the toll gates without active FASTag passes. Whenever non-FASTag vehicles pulled up, workers displayed personal QR codes connected to private accounts rather than the authorised toll collection system. Drivers scanned these codes believing their payments were reaching official channels.

Preliminary police enquiries revealed that the operation was directed by the plaza's shift in-charge, Vipin Rajput. He created QR codes using a phone number registered back in his home state and rotated them every two days to avoid detection. The workers logged vehicle numbers and transaction details in a WhatsApp group. Monthly payouts of up to ₹66,000 were then transferred into the personal accounts of the participating staff members.

Alert commuter blows the whistle

The illicit scheme unravelled after a motorist traveling with family encountered a FASTag processing issue at the booth. Upon scanning the offered barcode, the driver noticed that the money landed in a private account and promptly lodged a grievance on the Rajmarg Yatra portal.

Following the report, officials from Skylark Infra Engineering Private Limited, the firm operating the plaza, inspected CCTV footage and reviewed internal revenue logs. Manager Amit Kumar Sharma discovered a significant fall in toll collections and filed a formal complaint with the local police.

Investigating officer Sub-Inspector N. Rajkumar said that one accused worker, Naveen Singh Bhadoriya, was arrested and subsequently remanded by the court. Police teams are currently pursuing the remaining five suspects—Vipin Rajput, Umashankar, Monti Rajput, Harimohan, and Shivam—who vanished after their employment contracts expired. Officers added that the final embezzled figure may rise as financial audits continue.