Former South Salmara-Mankachar DC appears before Chief Minister's Special Vigilance Cell

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Former Deputy Commissioner of South Salmara-Mankachar Atika Sultana, on Saturday, appeared before the Chief Minister's Special Vigilance Cell (CMSVC) in connection with a case related to the illegal appointments of GBs or Gaon Burahs (Village Headmen) in South-Salmara Mankachar District in 2017-18.

Sultana was the Chairman of the Gaon Burahs appointment committee when she was serving as the Deputy Commissioner of South Salmara-Mankachar district from 2017 to 2020 . She was summoned by the CMSVC after the name of former South Salmara-Mankachar ADC Saibar Rahman got embroiled in the case. The CMSVC had already registered a case (no 05/2021) against Rahman and had started an investigation against him. Earlier Rahman was arrested in a DA case.

The illegal Gaon Burahs appointment case pertained to the appointment of 94 Gaon Burahs including 70 village head posts in Mankachar and 24 posts in South Salmara. The Gauhati High Court initially intervened and stayed the appointment process but later directed the government to submit a list of selected candidates. The appointments were later made on the basis of the list. However, Atika Sultana was not the deputy commissioner when the GB appointment took place as she was transferred to a new assignment by the state government.

Speaking to the media, CMSVC superintendent of police Rosie Kalita on Saturday said, "We had summoned Atika Sultana for recording her statement in connection with the Gaon Burah appointment case. Today she appeared before us. Since she produced medical documents related to her health we didn't question her much. She has been asked to appear again on November 30. She is fully cooperating in the case."

The SP further said that a team of the Chief Minister's Special Vigilance Cell has been camping at South Salmara-Mankachar district to record the statements of the Gaon Burahs.

"Our team has been at South Salmara-Mankachar for the last three days taking statements of the Gaon Burahs. They have also seized some documents related to the case. According to the complainant's FIR, bribe money ranging from Rs 7 to 10 lakh were taken from some candidates in exchange for the job. Altogether there were 94 Gaon Burah posts and the complainant has taken the name of a few persons in his FIR," Kalita said.

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