Date:31/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/31/stories/2006123102131000.htm

National

Letter-of-credit scam kingpin sent to jail

Special Correspondent

CBI court slaps RI on three State Government officials

GUWAHATI: The Court of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge here sentenced Rajen Bora, kingpin of the Rs. 400 crore Letter-of-Credit (LoC) scam in the Assam Veterinary Department, and three others to five years rigorous imprisonment in one of the 15 cases, trial for which began in 1996.

Senior Special Counsel for the CBI, D.K. Das told The Hindu that Mr. Bora and three Assam Government officials convicted in the Sonari Treasury case were sent to jail while a business couple, Achyut Borpujari and Rojita Borpujari, convicted and sentenced to three years and two years imprisonment in the case, obtained bail.

The court, however, acquitted Mr. Bora's wife Indira Bora and the then Director, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department, T.B. Dutta, who were also chargesheeted by the CBI in the case.

Another accused, Dulal Konwar, died during the trial, advocate D.K. Das said.

Special Judge P.K. Saikia also ordered them to pay a fine of Rs. 50,000 each, failing which they will be required to serve additional five months of imprisonment. The other convicts are: Inamul Haque, who was the sub-divisional veterinary officer, Makibul Islam, accountant in the same office, and Tankeswar Saikia, accountant in Sonari Sub-Treasury office of Sivasagar district during the scam period.

The CBI had named nine persons in the charge sheet in this case involving Rs. 66,90,495. It was filed on March 27, 1996.

The CBI had named several politicians, including the former Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the former Asom Gana Parishad Minister, Dilip Kumar Saikia, another former Chief Minister, Hiteswar Saikia, and a former PCC chief and Veterinary Minister in the Saikia Government, Nakul Das.

The then Assam Governor, Lt. Gen. (retd) S.K. Sinha, however, declined prosecution sanction to the CBI against Mahanta on the ground that there was no prima facie charge against the former Chief Minister.

Apart from the CBI, a House Committee of the Assam Assembly also inquired into the "fraudulent" withdrawal through the LoC in 10 government departments including the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department and detected gross irregularities.