Prime accused in 'Rs 121 crore scam' in Assam Construction Workers Welfare Board arrested in New Delhi

Assam police arrested a former officiating chairman of Assam Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, (ABOCWWB) and the "prime accused" in over Rs 121 crore alleged scam, involving misappropriation of the money collected as cess for the welfare of construction workers.

The officer Gautam Baruah, who served as the officiating chairman of the board during 2011 to 2017, was arrested from a rented house in Krishna Nagar area of Safdarjung enclave in New Delhi by the sleuths of Assam Chief Minister's vigilance cell.

Additional Director General of Police, Vigilance and Anti-corruption, Anurag Tankha told DH on Monday evening that ​investigation established that there was a criminal conspiracy by IAS officer Chohan Doley, the then member secretary of ABOCWWB, Baruah, the then Chairman of ABOCWWB, Nagendra Nath Choudhury, the then administrative officer and Priyangshu Boiragi, proprietor of M/S. Purbashree Printing House. "The criminal conspiracy resulted in misappropriation of the funds of more than Rs 121 crore from the fund accumulated through the collection of cess of the board in the bank account," he said.

Doley, Choudhury and Boiragi were arrested in 2017 and a charge sheet was filed for their involvement in the crime in 2018. But Baruah had absconded and evaded arrest, since the registration of the case in the year 2017.

The case was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Tapan Sarma, the then labour commissioner-cum-member secretary of Assam Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Guwahati, about the forgery and large scale misappropriation of board funds by his predecessor Member Secretary and Chairman. The CM's vigilance cell launched an inquiry in 2017 based on the complaint.

The BJP-led government came to power in Assam in May 2017.

A statement issued by Assam Police Headquarters said Baruah was evading the investigation agency despite repeated notices. He was found missing from his house in Guwahati too. A non-bailable warrant of arrest had also been issued last year against him by the Special Court at Guwahati. Process of attachment of his properties had also been initiated to compel his appearance before investigation. A cash reward of Rs 1,00,000 (one lakh) had also been announced by the CM’s Special Vigilance Cell for any information leading to his arrest.

Tankha said the investigation team carried out a search in his place of stay in New Delhi for any assets, as well as the persons, who harboured him for the past two years.