Assam Police file additional charge sheet against former chairman of ABOCWWB

RS 121-CRORE SCAM

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Police on Friday filed its additional charge sheet against Gautam Baruah, former chairman of the Assam Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, (ABOCWWB), relating to the large-scale scam in the board between 2013 and 2016.

The Assam Government had granted prosecution sanction against the accused Gautam Baruah. A team of Assam Police completed the investigation of the case and submitted the charge sheet within the stipulated time.

A case was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Tapan Sarma, then Labour Commissioner-cum-Member Secretary of ABOCWWB about the "forgery and large-scale misappropriation of government funds amounting to Rs. 121 crore of board funds" by his predecessor member secretary and chairman. On the basis of an enquiry conducted in CMs Special Vigilance Cell in 2017, a case was registered to vide Vigilance PS case ( 09/2017 on 07.11.2017).

In 2018, charge sheets were filed against the arrested accused persons – Chohan Doley, member secretary of the board; Priyangsu Bairagi, contractor and proprietor of M/S. Purbashree Printing House; and Nagendra Nath Choudhury, the then administrative officer of ABOCWWB.

The case was pending since prime accused Gautam Baruah was absconding and evading joining the investigation and was finally arrested by the police team from CM's Special Vigilance Cell with active coordination of Delhi Police Crime Branch from the busy streets of Safdarjang Enclave, New Delhi, on February 24, 2020.