Opp fire for Gogoi over CBI probe into oil theft row

A day after Assam Minister for Planning and Development Himanta Biswa Sharma tendered his resignation over his alleged involvement in a mult...

A day after Assam Minister for Planning and Development Himanta Biswa Sharma tendered his resignation over his alleged involvement in a multi-crore crude oil theft racket, the Opposition AGP and BJP today separately questioned the intention and sincerity of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in announcing a CBI probe into the scandal.

Sharma resigned on Monday after Transport Minister Anjan Dutta accused him of being involved in a crude oil theft mafia.

While the scam was confirmed after police arrested one Putul Gogoi, the alleged kingpin of the racket in Golaghat on April 15, Gogoi said he would hand over the investigations to the CBI.

‘‘Making an announcement for handing over the probe to the CBI is easy. But whether the CBI would take up the case itself will take some time. We have serious apprehensions that Gogoi is buying time to protect his ministers and some senior police officers as alleged by a senior minister of his Cabinet,’’ AGP chief Brindaban Goswami said. A view echoed by the BJP. ‘‘We, too, have serious doubts,’’ said BJP state unit president Indramoni Bora.

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