Gauhati High Court rejects plea to extend pre-arrest bail of Rumi Goswami

Large-scale fund misappropriation by former Director of Library Services

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has rejected the application to extend the pre-arrest bail of Rumi Goswami, the former Director of Library Services, who allegedly misappropriated money. Rumi Goswami had approached the court seeking the benefit of pre-arrest bail, apprehending her arrest in connection with Panbazar Police Station case no. 263/2022, registered for offences punishable under Sections 406/40 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Director of Library Services, Assam had lodged an FIR on 26.10.2022 against Rumi Goswami on being directed by the Additional Secretary, Cultural Affairs Department, and accorded approval by the State Cultural Affairs Minister. The FIR was lodged against illegal transactions done by Goswami.

The court observed from the materials in the case diary that an amount of Rs 68,85,340 was sanctioned for the year 2019-2020 in favour of the Director of Library Services, Assam from Raja Rammohan Ray Library Foundation. The amount was withdrawn in two installments. The first installment of Rs 22,72,162 was credited into the account of the Directorate of Library Services, Assam and Goswami, who was the Director of Library Services, Assam then, had completed the transactions. Thereafter, the second installment of Rs 46,13,178 was sanctioned during the year 2021-2022 by Raja Rammohan Ray Library Foundation and the amount was also duly credited into the official account of the Directorate of Library Services, Assam maintained at the HDFC Bank. Goswami, at that point of time, published an NIT in the newspapers and thereafter, the works were shown to be allotted to a number of contractors. Thereafter, Goswami transferred an amount of Rs 46,13,178 prior to her retirement from the official account of the Directorate of Library Services, Assam to her personal account. After retirement, she deposited a number of money receipts without the signatures of the contractors thereon, to project a picture that the money had been duly disbursed to the contractors.

One of the contractors, who had executed contracts at the time of first installment, stated that Goswami's husband was his partner during the first installment. He later on came to know that another amount which was part of the second installment was disbursed in the name of his firm without his knowledge and behind his back, and the entire amount of Rs 23,44,263 was disbursed Goswami's husband in cash. Goswami, during investigation, had admitted that as the Director of Library Services, Assam, she did not have the authority to disburse any amount of more than Rs 5,000 in cash and any amount beyond Rs 5,000 had to be through cheque.

The court stated, "The materials in the case diary prima facie go to indicate that there were misappropriation of a huge amount of money and the mischief is specifically attributed through the petitioner (Rumi Goswami), who seemed to have abused her position of the Director of Library Services, Assam during her tenure and such illegalities had been done in order to gain the illegal benefits for herself and also to bestow illegal benefits to her husband."

The court order further stated, "Having regard to the availability of ample incriminating materials in the case diary, collected during the course of investigation carried out so far, and considering the fact that the investigation of the case is still in progress for collection of more materials regarding embezzlement of the fund received by the Directorate of Library Services, Assam, this Court is not inclined to extend the benefit of pre-arrest bail of the petitioner in the interest of fair and proper investigation as it is found that it is not a fit case for extending the benefit of pre- arrest bail under Section 438, CrPC."

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