Police salary scam probe on track: Gogoi

Guwahati, Nov 12 (UNI) The ongoing probe into police salary scam, that had rocked Assam last year, was making good progress, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told the state assembly today.

The CID investigating the salary scam in 3rd and 10th battalion has so far arrested 14 persons including an IPS officer.

Mr Gogoi said that Rs 58 crore were taken out fraudulently from the state treasury last year.

Many top officials of the police department were being quizzed and some of them were arrested after detection of the scam where salaries of policemen were being defrauded for many years.

The sleuths of CID also interrogated IGP Jeevan Singh and DIG Paresh Neog.

The CID so far arrested Superintendent of Police Indra Gogoi, ASP Binoy Ranjan Das while another IPS Krishna Das was evading arrest for past three weeks.

The scam came to light last year after a constable complained that though he was debarred from receiving salary for three months for being absent from duty, it was also the reason for his dismissal for services.

Investigations by Titabor police revealed several instances of payments being made to people, who were never members of the battalions. Sources said the treasury departments were also involved in the scam.

The kingpin of the scam was believed to be Havildar Dadul Bora, who is absconding after jumping bail. The havildar confessed to withdrawing money from the treasury against false bills with the knowledge of several senior police officials.

The Director General of Assam Police last month instituted a one-man committee headed by a DIG to inquire into the alleged financial anomalies, said Mr Gogoi.

Though the DIG had submitted the inquiry reports, the government later hand over the investigation to the CID.

"During the investigation we have found some vital clues regarding the scam. The drawing of fund and disbursing salaries have many annomalies as names of many who never existed in the battalion," said the sources.

UNI