Assam: Police seize crores of rupees in vigilance raids from arrested civil service officer

Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 23 (HBTV): Sleuths of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption wing of Assam Police on Friday night conducted a raid at the residence of arrested Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer Lachit Kumar Das and recovered crores of rupees in cash and other assets.

According to officials, acting on a complaint regarding bribery demands linked to land-related clearances, a trap was laid on Thursday (May 21) by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, at the Directorate of Land Records in Rupnagar, Guwahati.

The accused officer, identified as Lachit Kumar Das, Additional Director of Land Records, was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of INR 45,000.

A senior official said the complaint alleged that the officer had demanded INR 1 lakh in exchange for issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) for land sale permission.

‘Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached this Directorate for taking necessary legal action against the public servant. Accordingly, a trap was laid on Thursday (May 21) by a team from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, at the Directorate of Land Records, Rupnagar, Guwahati,’ the official said.

‘Lachit Kumar Das, ACS, Additional Director, Land Records, was caught red-handed in his office chamber immediately after he accepted INR 45,000 as part of the demanded bribe from the complainant. The tainted bribe money was recovered from his possession and seized accordingly in the presence of independent witnesses,’ the official added.

Following his arrest, the Anti-Corruption Bureau registered a case on May 21 under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.

Officials said the officer was subsequently arrested after sufficient evidence was found in the case.

Further searches conducted at his residence in the Rani Bagan area of Beltola in Guwahati on May 21 led to the recovery and seizure of INR 48.38 lakh in cash from a locker inside his house.

Officials further said fixed deposit certificates worth INR 80 lakh, registered in his name and in the names of his family members, were also seized.

During continued searches on Thursday night, officials conducted another raid at his residence and recovered additional assets.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, Bedanta Madhab Rajkhowa said, ‘Yesterday, a little more than INR 48 lakh was recovered, and today INR 1 crore 17 lakh 30,000 in cash and land papers were found in his other flat. Papers relating to two plots have also been recovered. His name is Lachit Kumar Das; he is an officer of the Assam Civil Service.’

Officials said further legal proceedings and investigation in the case are currently underway.

(ANI)