Nearly Rs 2.5 crore & 1 kg gold haul from forester's abode!

Anti-corruption sleuths continue search at arrested Dhemaji DFO Mahat Chandra Talukdar's residences

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, June 14: Vigilance and anti-corruption sleuths of the Assam Police on their second raid today recovered cash worth Rs 2 crore, 4 lakh, 73 thousand as well as 950 grams of gold from the Guwahati residence of arrested Divisiol Forest Officer (DFO) of Dhemaji district, Mahat Chandra Talukdar.

DFO Talukdar was caught red handed on Sunday by anti-corruption sleuths from his office in Dhemaji when he was taking a bribe of Rs 30,000.

The anti-corruption sleuths immediately after the arrest recovered cash worth several lakh rupees and parts of wild animals, including Royal Bengal tiger and deer skins, from his Guwahati and Dhemaji residences.

Police seized Rs 62.22 lakh from his office and Rs 4.25 lakh from his residence on Monday.

The anti-corruption sleuths continued its raid on the second day today from morning at the residence of the arrested DFO at Piki Path in Zoo Road Tiniali area of the city and maged to recover more cash and gold, an anti-corruption wing official said. 

 The sleuths also seized bank documents relating to fixed deposits of Rs 15 to 17 lakh, added the official.

The sleuths on Monday had frozen two of his fixed deposits of Rs 15 lakh each in banks. The anti-corruption wing also raided the lbari residence of Talukdar but could not recover any money. 

Meanwhile, the Special Court, Guwahati today sent the arrested DFO to one-day police custody. The Court has directed the anti-corruption sleuths to deposit the cash which were recovered yesterday in the treasury.

The court further asked the anti-corruption wing to produce Talukdar in court tomorrow with cash and other items that were seized today.   

The arrested forest official was earlier posted as Ranger in Kaziranga tiol Park before he was posted as DFO in Dhemaji. Sources said several rhinos were poached in the tiol park during his stint as Ranger.