STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell (SVC) today filed the charge sheet in the Rs 105-crore scam in the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). The 1,433-page charge sheet was filed against 21 accused persons within 87 days.
The Vigilance Police Station Case No. 03/2023 u/s120B/406/409/420/201/468/471 IPC R/W Sec 7A/ 12/ 13(1)(a)/ 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 R/W Sec 8 of the Assam Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2005 R/W Section 41 of the Assam Public Procurement Act 2017 was registered on May 3, 2023, against IAS officer Sewali Devi Sharma, the then Executive Chairperson-cum-Director of SCERT, Assam, and others for misappropriation of government revenue amounting to Rs 105 crore while imparting training to school teachers and implementing the scheme under the ODL Mode (Online Distance Learning mode) of SCERT, Assam. On receipt of prosecution sanctions from various competent authorities, the CM’s SVC filed the chargesheet before the special court today.
Out of 21 arrested accused persons, six are government servants – Sewali Devi Sharma, Dr LN Sonowal, Jaychandra Lahkar, Sonmoni Nath, Ramezuddin Ahmed, Rubul Ali; five are contractors – Ajit Pal Singh, Vijeyeta Sharma, Rajesh Joshi, Sarang More and Syed Rahul Ameen; and 10 are RTI activists and journalists – Bhaskarjyoti Hazarika, Pujamoni Das, Rabijit Gogoi, Monoj Das, Keshab Gogoi, Benin Doley, Bidyut Kalita, David Adhikari, Rajib Kakoti and Anup Saikia.
According to sources, further investigation against the rest of the accused persons who are yet to be investigated and arrested will continue u/s 173 (8) CrPC. The special court has already denied the bail pleas of six of the accused persons.
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