Assam police arrest former Deputy Commissioner of Karimganj in multi-crore Land Port scam

Guwahati, Aug 18 (IBNS): The Assam police on Sunday arrested a senior government official and former Deputy Commissioner of Karimganj district in connection with a multi-crore rupees scam for acquiring land for Land Ports Authority of Indias project under the Ministry of Home Affairs at Sutarkandi in Karimganj district along Indo-Bangladesh border.

A team of police arrested Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer Pradip Kumar Talukdar, the then Deputy Commissioner of Karimganj district, from his residence in Guwahati.

According to the police, a total of 20 cases have been registered against the government official in connection with the Land Port scam.

We had arrested the prime accused of the Land Port scam, Pradip Kumar Talukdar the then Deputy Commissioner of Karimganj district, from his residence in Guwahati today. He was absconding since long time. We had earlier launched search operation to locate him and finally caught him. A total of 20 cases have been registered against him, Karimganj district SP Manabendra Roy said.

It is to be mentioned that, the Assam government had suspended Pradip Kumar Talukdar, who was presently posted as the secretary of Cooperation department, on July 19 last by issuing a order.

The state government had also suspended District Development Commissioner of Cachar district Nabarun Bhattacharjee the then Additional Deputy Commissioner of Karimganj district, on August 5 by issuing a order in connection with the Land Port scam.

Based on FIRs lodged by several people, Karimganj district police have registered 26 cases at Karimganj police station in connection with the scam.

Police had earlier arrested three government officials including a Circle Officer.

According to the reports, for the Land Ports Authority of Indias project at Sutarkandi along Indo-Bangladesh border, the government had acquired land from different persons.

The scam relates to siphoning of several crore of rupees meant for providing compensation to those whose lands were acquired by the government.

Some officials of Karimganj district had siphoned compensation money by doctoring documents of the land owners and the actual land owners were deprived to get the compensation money.

(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)