Assam: ED attaches properties worth ₹15 cr of former information director

Apr 01, 2023 12:12 PM IST

Share Via

Copy Link

This is the second time in a year that ED has attached properties of Ranjit Gogoi in a ₹32 crore scam for alleged irregularities in execution of an advertising campaign in 2016

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday attached properties worth ₹14.94 crore of a former director of the department of information and public relations (DIPR) of Assam in a money laundering case, officials said.

Ranjit Gogoi, a former director of the department of information and public relations (DIPR) of Assam, was arrested by the chief minister’s special vigilance cell in November 2017. (Representative Image)

This is the second time in a year that ED has attached properties of Ranjit Gogoi in a ₹32 crore scam for alleged irregularities in execution of an advertising campaign during the tenure of the Congress government in 2016.

“ED has provisionally attached assets worth ₹14.94 cr (approx.) under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with a case registered against Ranjit Gogoi, the then director of DIPR, Assam for alleged misappropriation of money from Government of Assam,” the ED tweeted on Friday.

In April last year, ED had provisionally attached properties worth ₹5.54 cr in connection with the case against Gogoi and different private companies for alleged misappropriation of government funds.

Gogoi was arrested by the chief minister’s special vigilance cell in November 2017 for alleged irregularities in spending money for putting up publicity hoardings of various schemes carried out by the Congress regime under former chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

The Assam police’s first information report (FIR) alleged that Ranjit Gogoi and a few other private individuals connected to advertising firms had got money released for the work done under the Vision Assam, Mission Assam scheme just prior to the 2016 assembly polls. It was alleged that though the publicity hoardings were not erected, payments were made to the private companies without due inspection. Later a separate case was lodged by ED for alleged money laundering by Gogoi and other accused.

In a statement issued last year, ED state, “In connivance with Assam government officials and others, different companies were able to get work order in ‘Vision Assam, Mission Assam’ project, even though they didn’t have the required pre-qualification and laundered the proceeds of crime received by them”.