The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police's Special Task Force (STF) has initiated a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) against Nagaland Cabinet minister and state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Temjen Imna Along, following a court directive.
The investigation began after a bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj Chavan ordered the probe during a hearing on a petition filed by Hazel Mercantile Limited, a Mumbai-based firm.
The case was presented by lawyers Vivek Kantawala, Amey Patil, and Vivek Sharma.
According to Hazel Mercantile Limited, Along approached them between 2015 and 2018, when he was not a public officeholder, urging them to invest in Nagaland.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 21 April 2015, under which the company invested around ₹125 crore.
The agreement included construction contracts and supply deals for rice and sugar.
However, the company alleged that despite fulfilling all commitments and raising invoices, Along began avoiding contact with their representatives. The firm lodged a complaint with the EOW on 9 February 2024, citing a lack of response from Along.
Due to Along's status as a Cabinet Minister, Deputy Commissioner of Police Sangramsinh Nishandar forwarded the complaint to the Nagaland Lokayukt on 24 June 2024.
Hazel Mercantile Limited sought a stay on this referral, arguing it was unnecessary.
During a recent court hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor Kranti Hiwrale informed the court that the Nagaland Lokayukt had stated the transactions occurred before Along assumed public office and were therefore outside its jurisdiction.
Following this, the STF EOW began a Preliminary Enquiry.
The bench adjourned the hearing for eight weeks to allow further investigation. Justice Prithviraj Chavan noted Deputy Commissioner Nishandar's "straightforward and devoted" character during the proceedings.
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