GUWAHATI, Nov 7 - Director of Information and Public Relations Ranjit Gogoi, one of the prime accused in the multi-crore-rupee �Vision Assam Mission Assam� advertisement scam, was today arrested by the Chief Minister�s Vigilance Cell after he was summoned by the investigating agency this afternoon.
Immediately after the arrest, Gogoi was produced before the Court of Special Judge, Assam which remanded him to three-day police custody.
The incumbent director faces charges of misappropriation of government funds and awarding of advertisement contracts in gross violation of laid down guidelines and also for personal gains under the �Vision Assam Mission Assam� campaign of the erstwhile Congress government in the State.
The nearly Rs 33-crore advertisement scam took place during the fag end of the third regime of the Congress government when the massive advertisement campaign was launched.
Sources privy to the investigation said ample evidence has been found against the incumbent director and other accused in the scam, hinting that a few more arrests could follow suit. Immediately after Gogoi�s arrest today, Dispur has moved papers pertaining to his immediate suspension from the office.
Besides Gogoi, the Chief Minister�s Vigilance cell in its FIR (first information report) has named four others from three different advertising and media firms. Those named in the FIR are Rajib Bora and Anjana Bora of Brahmaputra Television Network, Dilip Kalita of Delta Publicity and Apurba Lahkar of Pradip Advertising.
Sources further informed that the hunt for several other accused, including contractors, is on and they will soon be in the net. �Possibilities of arrest of more government officials too cannot be ruled out,� sources added.
The case (8/2017) has been registered under Sections 120 B, 468, 471, 406, 409 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code, read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The investigating agency had already conducted a series of raids in the DIPR and besides questioning many accused, it has also seized documents pertaining to the advertising contracts.
The Additional Director General of Police Jyotirmoy Chakravarty (CM�s Vigilance Cell) too had prepared a report at the instance of the State government wherein he is believed to have highlighted gross anomalies and had even named the then Commissioner and Secretary (Information and Public Relations) LS Changsan.