GUWAHATI:
Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell on January 12 filed a chargesheet against 14 accused persons, including a retired Assam Civil Officer (ACS), before the court of the Special Judge, Assam in connection with the Rs 20 crore de-siltation scam of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC).
The 851 pages chargesheet was filed within 82 days before the completion of 90 days mandatory period of investigation, which would have been over on January 20.
Those who have been named in the chargesheet are: Babulal Sharma (retired ACS), OSD, GMC; Tasdiqur Rahman, chief engineer, GMC; Ashif Ahmed, executive engineer and swacchanta officer, GMC; Shankar Medhi, executive engineer, Division I, GMC; Ramakanta Saikia, executive engineer, Division II, GMC; Alin Begum, executive engineer, Division III, GMC; Chittaranjan Dutta, executive engineer, Division IC, GMC; Hiranya Barman, executive engineer, Division V, GMC; Simanta Jyoti Baruah, executive engineer, Division VI, GMC; Dibakar Mali, assistant engineer, GMC; Pradip Sarma, assistant engineer, GMC; Dinesh Jaishwal, proprietor, Dinsan Global Venture Pvt Ltd; Mithu Agarwal, partner, Dinsan Global Venture Pvt Ltd and Abhimanyu Medhi, AFS, CA and AO, GMC.
The CM’s Special Vigilance Cell has registered a case No 4/22 under section 120(B)/ 420/406/409/468/471 of IPC read with section 13(1)/ 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 on October 21, 2022, based on a preliminary investigation report submitted by GMC joint commissioner Pankaj Chakravorty.
Then GMC commissioner Debasish Sharma detected some irregularities and illegalities in the execution of de-siltation works in the GMC for which he directed to conduct an enquiry by the joint commissioner and forwarded the enquiry report.
The report mentioned a private company namely Dinsan Global Venture Pvt Ltd which was engaged in the hiring of vehicles/machinery for carrying out the de-siltation of channels/ drainage for the period from April 2, 2022, to May 26, 2022.
The company submitted bills with forged weighbridge slips for several crores of rupees and withdrew the government funds.
The firm also inflated bills to GMC showing the supply of vehicles/pieces of machinery at inflated rates.
“During the inquiry, the investigating agency collected sufficient documentary shreds of evidence, materials and circumstantial evidence against the accused persons to prove their criminal conspiracy and misconduct for committing misappropriation of the government funds,” an official statement of Assam Police said.
“Officers and staffs of GMC criminally conspired and did not implement de-siltation works as per terms and conditions laid down in the tender documents and payments were released to the contractors without proper execution of works based on forged weighbridge slips for their pecuniary benefits and misappropriated government funds meant for the development works of Guwahati city,” the statement said.
The FIR was lodged based on the preliminary investigation conducted by the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell, Assam.
“On receipt of the prosecution sanction order accorded against the public servants from the respective departments, the case is returned in chargesheet vide CM’s vigilance Cell police station chargesheet No /23 on January 11, 2023. For committing criminal misconduct during the period of their office which is in contravention with the laws laid down in PC Act 1988and under the provision of IPC,” the statement further said.
“However, the investigation is kept open under section 173(8) CrPC for subsequent submission of the supplementary chargesheet,” it added.