Cops tainted by scams, CM hit

For Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who had vowed to bring down 8212; if not wipe out altogether 8212;corruption in the state...

For Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who had vowed to bring down 8212; if not wipe out altogether 8212; corruption in the state, it is a mixture of good as well as bad news. The good news is that Gogoi8217;s government has been able to unearth a series of major financial scandals in the Assam Police, but the bad part is that most of the misappropriation and swindling has taken place since he assumed office.

First, it was a Rs 16-crore scam in the 3rd Assam Police Battalion that hit the headlines last week, with the CID arresting two senior SP-rank officers apart from at least nine others, including some treasury officials. The battalion is incidentally located at Titabor, Gogoi8217;s constituency.

The 10th Assam Police Battalion located in Guwahati was embroiled in an even bigger scam, with investigating officials putting the sum embezzled at not less than Rs 30 crore. While the 3rd Battalion scam is believed to have taken place between 2001 and 2006, the 10th Battalion scandal could involve the period from 1998 to 2006.

Two senior officers, both promoted from the Assam Police Service to the Indian Police Service, have been booked and sent to jail already, and investigating officials suspect that a couple of officers currently in the IPS may be dragged into the net in the next few days. The two senior officers held for the 3rd Battalion scam are Indra Kumar Gogoi and Binoy Ranjan Das. In both the scams, the officers have been accused of withdrawing money from the treasury by fraudulent means. In league with junior officers and clerks including some in the state Finance Department and probably in the Assam Police headquarters, they are also believed to have withdrawn salaries and allowances in the name of non-existent or retired constables.

CID officials said while about Rs 11.6 crore was allegedly siphoned off when Das was Commandant of the 3rd AP Battalion from 2002 to 2006, Rs 7.2 crore was allegedly withdrawn during his predecessor Gogoi8217;s term between 1998 and 2002. Das is currently SP Home Guards and Gogoi is SP Border. Gogoi, CID sources said, has been accused of fraudulently withdrawing salaries of at least 180 retired and deceased jawans of the battalion, while Das withdrew salaries of 283 non-existent constables. The CID has arrested a number of junior officers and clerical staff.

Meanwhile, the Assam Police CID has completed preliminary investigations into a similar and bigger scam in the 10th Assam Police Battalion, with sources saying at least two senior IPS officers were likely to face arrest in the next few days.