Iron pipe smuggler surrenders

A Correspondent

Joysagar, May 21: In the latest development in the Rs 80 crore ONGC iron pipe scrap auction scam of ONGC Sivasagar central storehouse under Rudrasagar oil field of Joysagar, wanted iron pipe smuggler Ratneswar Das (45) surrendered before the OC of Joysagar Police Station on Sunday night. As per information, accused Ratneswar was one of the prime associates of the mastermind of the smugglers who is now in Sivasagar Jail, Paresh Das. Meanwhile, Sivasagar Police again recovered about 30 iron pipes from the historic Pahugarh forest on Sunday. Smugglers had got the pipes from ONGC Na-Pukhuri godown and had kept them hidden in the Pahugarh forest.

One 407 truck bearing registration number AS-04-5846 was also seized during the police operation on Sunday. This 407 truck was owned by accused Ratneswar and was used in carrying smuggled iron pipes. Besides, police booked another four suspects from Rudrasagar and Bhatiapara area for quizzing regarding the scam on Sunday and the suspects are identified as Dip, Shantosh, Nitya and Hemanta.

Earlier, Sivasagar ASP B. Dewri had arrested three iron pipe smugglers in connection with the alleged scam and they are Paresh Das, Tariq Ahmed and Rubul Ahmed. Police investigation is still going on and many ONGC officers and employees will be called in by the police for interrogation, sources said. Three ONGC officers, including one DGM, had been called by the police for interrogation a week back.