n a story reminiscent of a Bollywood movie plot, a group of individuals in the western Indian state of Gujarat successfully deceived government officials for more than a year by operating a fake toll plaza.
The deceptive toll booth was constructed on private land in the Morbi district, bypassing a national highway connecting Kutch. The fraudsters, associated with the closed White House Ceramic Company in Varghasia village, rerouted traffic from the actual route through their land. Offering a tempting 50% discount compared to regular toll charges, the scammers collected fees ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 200 from car owners and heavy truck drivers, undercutting the official toll tax of Rs 110 to Rs 595.
Reports suggest that the accused managed to accumulate over $8.9 million (Rs 75 crore) in illegal taxes from unsuspecting commuters. Authorities were alerted to the scam, prompting their intervention to rectify the situation.
District Collector GT Pandya stated, “We received information that some vehicles were being diverted from the actual route of the Varghasia toll plaza, and toll tax was being collected. The police and other officials reached the spot to investigate and filed a detailed complaint.” However, it has surfaced that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the plaza manager had previously written to local police, notifying them of the ongoing scam. Local sources informed The Hindu that commuters refrained from complaining as they were allowed to pass by paying half the official toll.
In response, the police have registered a complaint against Amarshi Patel, owner of the private White House Ceramic Company, along with his associates Vanraj Singh Jhala, Harvijay Singh Jhala, Dharmendra Singh Jhala, Yuvraj Singh Jhala, and other unidentified individuals. The case sheds light on a daring and elaborate scheme that took advantage of unsuspecting commuters and raises concerns about the effectiveness of toll plaza oversight.