Assam Police submit final chargesheet in case against suspended DIG

Guwahati: The chief minister’s special vigilance cell of Assam Police on Monday submitted a 156-page final supplementary chargesheet against arrested Assam deputy inspector general of police (border) Rounak Ali Hazarika after 109 days.

Investigating officer Hitesh Thakuria, along with the Special Investigation Team (SIT), submitted the chargesheet against Hazarika, his wife Nusrat Rounak Hazarika and another person named Farid Ali.

Hazarika, who was arrested in connection with a disproportionate assets case on October 5, 2021, and is currently in jail, has been charged under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC), Prevention of Corruption Act and Official Secrets Act, 1923.

“Upon completion of investigation, it is found that Rounak All Hazarika had amassed immovable and movable assets which are disproportionate to his known sources of income, which is 182.19 per cent,” a statement from the superintendent of police, chief minister’s special vigilance cell, Assam, said.

“The prosecution sanction has been accorded and received from the ministry of home affairs, Government of India, and the order has been submitted before the court,” the statement said.

Earlier, preliminary and regular enquiries were conducted after the vigilance cell received information about the disproportionate assets amassed by Hazarika. Thereafter, a case was registered in the vigilance police station.

Sufficient evidence was gathered during inquiry and it was found that Hazarika had possessed immovable and movable assets disproportionate to his known sources of income during 1992 to 2021.

Hazarika had also incurred expenditure to the tune of Rs 1.74 crore (approximately) as educational expenditure of his two children till date.

It may be recalled that the Assam government had suspended Hazarika in July, 2021, for unauthorised visits to foreign countries.

International travel history of Hazarika, collected earlier, revealed that he travelled abroad nine times without permission from the competent authority.

Last year, a case (vigilance PS case number 06/2021) was registered against the DIG under Sections 13 (1) (a) (b)/13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, initiated as per approval of the chief minister.

Hazarika was, thereafter, unable to satisfactorily account for how he could amass the pecuniary resources (cash deposits/cheque deposits in his bank accounts from known sources of income.

Assam reports 6,118 new COVID-19 cases