Top ONGC officials in net, DGM arrested

SIVASAGAR CRUDE OIL SCAM

A CORRESPONDENT

JOYSAGAR, July 8: In a major breakthrough, Sivasagar police on Friday arrested an ONGC DGM (Mechanical cell) in connection with crude oil smuggling. The ACJM Court remanded him to judicial custody. The accused DGM (M) has been identified as Nritya Nanda Das of Rudrasagar under Joysagar PS area. According to allegations, the accused DGM (M) had been helping the crude oil smugglers. Acting on the confessions made before the Investigating Officer by other accused persons, Sivasagar Police nabbed the Das.

It may be mentioned that Sivasagar Police had recently busted a den of crude oil and iron. Acting on a tipoff, a police team under the leadership of Sivasagar ASP raided a godown near Dorikapar NH-37 here and recovered about 16,000 litres of smuggled crude oil, diesel, mobil and a few drums of petrol. Besides, the police also seized two oil tankers (AS-04-AC-1100 and AS-04-AC-5916) parked on the godown premises. The oil tankers were allegedly used in carrying smuggled oil from the ONGC Rigs.

Meanwhile, police also raided the house of another ONGC top officer G. Bora situated on the Red Cross Road here on Saturday. However, the officer was not in the house during the raid operation.

On Thursday, the Sivasagar ACJM Court granted bail to one of the prime accused Paresh Das. Paresh Das who was accused in the Rs 3.78 crore ONGC iron pipe smuggling scam in the name of ONGC iron scrape auction. After being arrested on May 27, he was in Sivasagar Jail. Sources revealed that subsequently Das agreed to become a witness. Besides revealing various facts before the Court, Das reportedly mentioned the names of the smugglers and also of the ONGC officers and employees involved in the scam.

Now Sivasagar Police has launched operations against all such corrupt ONGC officers. Earlier Sivasagar Police had arrested another accused ONGC officer T. Rahman. The Court sent him to Jail on Tuesday.

On Thursday, the Sivasagar ACJM Court rejected the bail petitions of seven other accused persons and issued another date for further hearing, sources added.

The number of arrested persons involved in the iron, crude oil smuggling scam in ONGC Sivasagar has gone up to 16.