EC-IT teams raid Rakibul

Minister cries foul, says political motive behind raid, threatens to lodge complaints with police, ECI

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, March 16: Election Commission observers and Income Tax officials on Wednesday night raided the Guwahati residence of Agriculture minister and senior Congress leader Rakibul Hussain.

A team of EC officials led by Kamrup (metro) expenditure observer Raghavendra Singh first searched Hussain's vehicle and his two escort vehicles while he was moving out of his Panjabari residence this evening.

Later, the team, accompanied by Income Tax department sleuths launched a search at his residence, located at FA Ahmed gar (Pura Basti).

The raid team came in over twenty vehicles, including official vehicles bearing stickers of the election commission..

In a hurriedly convened press conference, immediately after his vehicles were searched, Hussain said the raid was conducted "with an intention to create terror among Congress workers."

He alleged that the search team did not follow the laid down norms of the Election Commission, like video-graphing the search etc.

"The officer who led the team was initially reluctant to identify himself. The officer just said there was some reason behind the search. What else could be the reason beside a political one?" Hussain said.

He said he has taken up the matter with senior AICC leaders, besides the Chief Minister and that the party will lodge a complaint with the Election Commission of India.

Hussain, who till the filing of the report was taking legal advice at Rajiv Bhavan, has also threatened to file a defamation case.

Sources said searches were also launched at a beauty clinic  and at a few residences in the locality. The search was going on till the filing of this report. Officials did not disclose details as to why the raid was conducted and if anything was found during the searches. However, Hussain said the officials were "satisfied" after the initial search in his three vehicles.

Hussain lodged a complaint at Dispur police station late in the night.

“If they wanted to search my house, they should have told me while searching my vehicle when I was coming out. Why did they raid the house after I moved out? There was no third party while the raid was being conducted. What if they put something and later claim that they have found that from the house,” Hussain said late in the night.

The situation was tense in the Panjabari area till late in the night.