Guwahati: The directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption has arrested Padma Kanta Hazarika, a key accused in the alleged financial irregularities at the Assam Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd (AFDCL), from Puri, Odisha, on Saturday. This marks the ninth arrest in the case, officials confirmed on Sunday.
Arrest and Raids
Hazarika, the former project director of the corporation, was produced before a local court in Puri and will be brought to Guwahati on transit remand. Simultaneously, raids were conducted at three apartments belonging to him in Guwahati's Hatigaon area.
The directorate seized a large number of incriminating documents, five seals of different organizations or councils, and a note-counting machine during the raids.
Background of the Case
The case was registered in 2023, alleging financial irregularities and misappropriation of funds between 2021 and 2023. Last week, eight government officials, including two from the Assam Civil Services (ACS) cadre, were arrested in connection with the same case from multiple locations, including Guwahati, Belsor in Nalbari, Gauripur in Dhubri, and Raha in Nagaon.
Among those previously arrested are ACS officers Anuradha Adhikary Sarma and Naren Chandra Basumatary, both former managing directors of AFDCL; former executive engineers Jyotish Saikia and Birinchi Adhikary; and other employees including Jyoti Prasad Saikia, Saburuddin Ahmed, Bhogirath Das, and Rabindra Narayan Deka.
