GUWAHATI, May 31 � Former Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) chairman Dr Tara Prasad Das and 10 officials of the Irrigation Department may face attachment and confiscation of �the proceeds of crime� as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have registered separate cases against them and investigations are now on.
Official sources told The Assam Tribune that the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Department of the Assam Police has already filed a chargesheet against Dr Das for possessing assets disproportionate to his income and on the basis of that the ED had registered a case against him. The case has been registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and if the charges are proved to be correct, the former APSC chairman would have attachment and even confiscation of the proceeds of crime.
Sources said that as per the chargesheet filed by the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Department, Dr Das possesses disproportionate assets worth Rs 2.07 crores and the ED would conduct a detailed investigation into the assets of the former APSC chairman, who was also a legislator for two terms.
Meanwhile, the ED has also registered a case against 10 officials of the Irrigation Department and one contractor for alleged corruption in Bordikorai project under Itakhola division in Sonitpur district. Sources said that the irregularities took place in 2007 and the total amount involved is around Rs eight crore.
Sources said that the main charges were payments were made without bills, there were discrepancies in bill value and value of cheques and there were payments without work order. It is alleged that there were instances of payments without any work. The case was first investigated by the Criminal Investigation
Department of the Assam Police and on the basis of the chargesheet, the ED has registered a case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. If the charges are proved to be correct, the accused may face attachment and confiscation of their properties.
Sources revealed that the persons against whom the ED has registered the case include Prosenjit Kumar Pathak, accounts officer, Mirhaz Ali, executive engineer, Rajkumar Kakati, assistant executive engineer, Raju Saikia, junior engineer, Kuladhar Bora, assistant engineer, Prasanta Gogoi, assistant engineer, Bipul Dutta, assistant engineer, Fainur Ali, assistant engineer, Ismail Hussain, senior accounts assistant, Abidur Rahman, cashier and A Ali Ansari, contractor.
