The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed a part-chargesheet in connection with a multi-crore scam in the Assam agriculture department even as the state government has denied prosecution sanction against eight other officials of the department, including its director and chief engineer.
The part-chargesheet, naming three agriculture department officials and two contractors, was submitted on January 7 with the Court of Special Judge, Assam; a report in the Assam Tribune stated.
Those named in the chargesheet as accused include Fakaruddin Laskar, executive engineer (Silchar), Shyama Prasad Purkayasta, junior engineer (Silchar), Nilanjan Das, assistant engineer (Silchar), and the two contractors Mujahir Borbhuyan and Sankar Roy.
Although the CID has sought prosecution sanction against as many as 11 agriculture department officials in the multi-crore scam, the government has so far allowed only three sanctions.
The scam relates to misappropriation of funds under ambitious government projects like Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI) and the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY) in the state.
Interestingly, prosecution sanction sought against the director of agriculture, Kabindra Borkakoty, and seven other agriculture department officials, has not been allowed as well.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (CID) Raunak Ali Hazarika, when asked, said the investigation is going on in the right direction and more arrests are likely.
“The magnitude of the scam may further escalate and the investigators are on the job,” he added.
