CID team reaches Digboi Terminal, APMU leader hospitalized

DIGBOI, Sept 3: Following CID probe ordered by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday to investigate the alleged collection of illegal money from the drivers of oil tankers and ongoing syndicate raj at the Digboi Golai-based AOD Marketing Terminal, a four-member CID team reached the site and conducted preliminary investigation on Monday.

The CID sleuths, during the courses of investigation, recorded the statements of the office bearers of Golai Association and collected various documents of the association from its temporary office near the entrance of the marketing terminal. Besides verifying the legal status of the association, the CID team on reaching the site found that youths of Golai Association were engaged in a business of providing services to the needy drivers of the oil tankers in the form of ‘mandatory gadgets’. Data and documents, including copies of FIRs registered at case No 212 /18 and 213/18 pertaining to allegations and counter allegations between the drivers-cum-members of the APMU and terminal workers-cum-members of Golai Association were also collected from the local police station to go into the depth of the case.

“The investigating team also recorded the statements of some of the drivers of oil tankers earlier in Tinsukia,” informed an APMU member of Tinsukia. APMU during the courses of its indefinite agitation commencing recently, had categorically alleged the involvement of local BJP MLA Suren Phukon of Digboi in the alleged syndicate.

However, challenging the validity of the allegation levelled by the APMU, Phukan said on Monday evening that he had urged the Chief Minister on Friday for the CID probe to unearth the truth. According to him, the nasty affair of collecting money from hundreds of drivers of the oil tankers each day was being carried out by a group under the leadership of Ranjan Chowdhury, APMU president of Upper Assam, in nexus with the oil traders and smugglers at Tinsukia Terminal. “Now that he cannot carry on the trade after the shifting of the terminal to Digboi, he has started making baseless allegations against me,” said Phukan. “The CID investigation will definitely include in its purview the earlier act of collecting money from the drivers in Tinsukia terminal which will provide lead for effective output,” he added.

Ironically, a member of Golai Association told this reporter that out of around 200 oil tankers plying till Monday evening, only nine vehicles bought the gadgets so far from the association, rest managed themselves suspecting another third party to have started carrying the trade from Tinsukia.