Five cases of corruption in the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council in Assam have been registered by CBI, which claimed to have recovered over Rs 13 crore allegedly siphoned off from Council's fund.
"Two persons were arrested yesterday in a corruption case of North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council involving recovery of over Rs 13.45 crore from the residence of a junior engineer of Zila Parishad Dhubri," CBI spokesperson Harsh Bhal said.
Sources claimed that R H Khan, deputy director in the social welfare department and under judicial custody in a case being investigated by NIA, had hidden the money in his brother-in-law Ahmed Hussain's (junior engineer) house after being siphoned off from the NC Hills Autonomous Council.
The other arrested person Amjed Ali is also a relative of Khan and is an employee of Social Welfare Department of the council.
"Both the arrested persons were produced before the court today at Guwahati and were remanded in five days' police custody," Bhal said.
He said that while investigating a case on June 15 relating to Social Welfare Department, CBI raided Khan's house in Tarun Nagar here and the house of his brother-in-law at Darandha.
"Some incriminating documents were found from the house of the Deputy Director. Further, from the house of his brother-in-law, an amount of over Rs 13.45 crore was recovered. The money was concealed in the garage in a specially made compartment between two walls. The wall was broken and whole amount was found hidden. Some other incriminating documents were also recovered," Bhal said.
He said a case has also been registered against officers of PWD Department and other private persons.
The second case relates to officers of Public Health engineering department and other private persons. The third case pertains to officers of Agriculture Department and other private persons and the fourth against officers of Soil Conservation Department and other private persons.
Explaining the working of the council, he said that in North Cachar Hills district, now renamed Dima Hasao, the administration of government departments is done by the Autonomous Council.
"All schemes are implemented by the Council. The head of the administration is the Principal Secretary which is also the Deputy Commissioner of the District," he said.
Following the arrest the BJP demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. "In the interest of the people of Assam, the BJP demands the resignation of Gogoi and that his ministers and MLAs involved in the scam be punished," party chief Rajit Dutta told reporters. PTI
