JOWAI: A BJP member who recently contested the JHADC election from War East was arrested for duping a coal trader of Rs 58 lakh.
Ladrymbai police arrested Smen Kyndait of Skenpyrsit, West Jaintia Hills, after they received a complaint from Ioanis Kyndait, a coal trader who owns a petrol pump in East Jaintia Hills.
According to the complaint, Smen, who is a relative of Ioanis, had claimed that he was engaged in coal transport and did business with several companies in Meghalaya and Assam.
In April, Smen called on Ioanis at his residence at Moolamanoh village and requested him to supply coal to a stockyard at Beltola in Guwahati.
On April 21, Smen loaded 29.080 metric tonne of coal from Lalmati Depot at Beltola. Though initially Smen paid regularly, later the payments stopped.
“Smen stopped making payments but continued to lift coal from my depot. The last loading was on May 4,” Ioanis said in his complaint.
Ioanis requested Smen several times over telephone to clear the dues of over Rs 56 lakh but in vain. When he received cheques from Smen, they bounced. Smen had also refuelled his coal trucks at Kyndait Petrol Pump at Kongong on credit and the total amount due is Rs 86,000. The cost of challan borrowed by the accused stands at Rs 88,000 leading to a total outstanding of Rs 57,92,754.
Sources said Smen had cheated other businessmen in East and West Jaintia Hills.
