GUWAHATI: Former Assam Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Guwahati(ABOCWWB) chairman, Gautam Baruah has been arrested from a rented accommodation in New Delhi on February 24.
According to a press statement from Assam Police, Gautam Baruah has been arrested on charges of forgery and large scale misappropriation of board funds worth 121 Crores.
Earlier, a case was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Tapan Sarma, IAS, the then Labour Commissioner Cum Member Secretary of ABOCWWB.
On the basis of an enquiry conducted in CMs Special Vigilance Cell in 2017, a case was registered vide Vigilance PS case no. 09/2017 u/s 120(B)/406/409/468/471/420 IPC R/W Sec 13(2) of P.C Act of 1988 under the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell, Assam.
It is to be mentioned that during investigation it has been established that there was a criminal conspiracy by Chohan Doley, IAS, the then Member Secretary of ABOCWWB, Gautam Baruah, the then Chairman ABOCWWB, Nagendra Nath Choudhury, the then Administrative officer, ABOCWWB and Priyangshu Boiragi, Proprietor of M/S. Purbashree Printing House.
Further, the criminal conspiracy resulted in misappropriation of the funds of more than 121 Crores, from the fund accumulated through the collection of cess of the ABOCWWB in the Bank account.
The accused Chohan Doley, Nagendra Nath Choudhury, and Priyangshu Boiragi, were arrested in the year 2017 and a chargesheet was filed for their involvement in the crime in the year 2018, however, the Chairman of the ABOCWWB, Gautam Baruah had absconded and evaded arrest, since the registration of the case in the year 2017.
Gautam Baruah shall be produced before the local court in New Delhi on February 24 for seeking transit remand and for bringing him before the Special Court at Guwahati.