QR code scam: Police register a case against six toll plaza employees in Kozhikode

The Pantheerankavu police have registered a case against six toll plaza employees in Kozhikode city for allegedly siphoning off more than ₹7 crore by diverting toll payments to their personal bank accounts using private QR code scanners.

The accused have been identified as Umashankar, Monti Rajput, Harimohan, Shim, Naveen Singh Bhadoriya and Bibin Rajput, all natives of Uttar Pradesh. Bibin Rajput was taken into police custody, while the other five reportedly returned to their home state after their contract periods expired.

The alleged fraud came to light during an inspection by the toll administrator after the employees left their jobs. Police have initiated further steps to bring the remaining accused to Kozhikode for detailed investigation.

According to police, the employees were allegedly targeting vehicles that were passing through the toll plaza without a FASTag. They would display QR codes linked to private accounts to collect payments from motorists, rather than channeling the money through an authorized toll collection system.

The toll collector filed a complaint with the Pantheerankavu police after examining the bills after the employees left. The police registered the case and started an investigation.

A senior police officer said that the amount found so far was based on a preliminary estimate and that the total amount allegedly embezzled could be higher. Further investigations are underway to establish the full extent of the alleged fraud and trace the money collected using the QR codes. Sub-inspector N. Rajkumar is leading the investigation.

Published – 16 Oct 2026 22:19 IST