Gurugram, Oct. 18 -- The Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested Mohammad Hanif alias Anna, the village head of Basai Meo in Nuh, for allegedly constructing two illegal roads through protected Aravalli forest land to provide easier access for mining contractors from Rajasthan, officials said on Friday. Hanif had been absconding for four months, with a Rs.50,000 reward offered for information leading to his capture. He was apprehended on Wednesday in Firozpur Jhirka and produced before a Nuh court on Thursday, which remanded him in ACB custody for five days for interrogation. According to the ACB, Hanif is the prime accused in the illegal road case, which reportedly benefitted mining and crusher contractors operating in Rajasthan's Deeg district. During land consolidation proceedings in Basai Meo between 2024 and 2025, Hanif allegedly bribed officials to manipulate government records and legitimise the roads. He is accused of paying Rs.5 lakh each to Nuh's district revenue officer and consolidation officer, and Rs.2.5 lakh each to two other revenue officials. Investigators said one road connected Basai Meo to Chhapra village, and the other to Nangal village in Deeg. Each road was about two kilometres long and 41 feet wide, allowing trucks from mining and crusher units in Rajasthan to bypass legal routes. A senior ACB officer said the short cut reduced travel distance for trucks from 40km to just 5km, boosting the trips and profits of miners and collections of excess royalty collection contractor (ERCC) in Deeg. Officials noted that 160-170 mining belts and crusher units operate in the two Rajasthan villages, including two owned by Hanif. Technical evaluation estimated the cost of construction and labour at nearly Rs.1 crore, funded by Hanif and other contractors. Illegally mined material was allegedly used to build and level the roads. The ACB said the role of the ERCC and other contractors would be examined further based on evidence gathered during ongoing investigations. So far, Nuh district revenue officer Bijender Rana, the consolidation officer, assistant consolidation officer, and a revenue official have been arrested, along with three Basai Meo residents - Sher Mohammad, Mohammad Latif, and Sakul Khan. Two others, Mohammad Shabir and Mohammad Shaukat, remain absconding. The case came to light in April when the Central Empowered Committee reported illegal mining and road construction in the Aravalli forests to the Supreme Court. Following the report, the Haryana government suspended Hanif and handed the matter to the ACB, which registered a case on June 1 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at its Gurugram police station....