STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell arrested six persons today on the charge of misappropriating Rs 105 crore in the name of running ODL (Open Distant Learning) under the SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training).
The six arrested people included Rajesh Kumar Joshi, the elder son-in-law of former SCERT in-charge director Sewali Devi Sarma. Swali Devi is also an accused in the scam. The other five are former nodal officer-cum-deputy director of ODL, SCERT Dr. LN Sonowal; ODL, SCERT accountant Jaychandra Lahkar; stenographer Rubul Ali; LDA Ramijuddin; and CA and contractor Sarang More.
According to sources, Rajesh Kumar Joshi took ODL and SCERT’s contracts through two firms, and Sarang More, the proprietor of five firms, received Rs 13 crore from SCERT’s ODL.
The CM’s SVC sleuths raided the Saukuchi house of Sewali Devi Sarma and the house of her younger son-in-law, Ajit Paul Singh, but did not get them. The CM’s SVC filed a case (03/2023 u/s 120B/406/409/201/420/468/471 IPC, R/W Sec 7A/12/13 (1) a/13(2) of PC Act, 1988, R/W Sec 8 of Assam Financial Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2005, R/W Sec 41 of Assam Public Procurement Act, 2017) after the preliminary investigation.
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