GUWAHATI: An officer of Assam Civil Service was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly acquiring assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
During an inquiry, the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell found that 89 landed properties were registered either in the name of the officer, Saibur Rahman, or one of his two wives. The market value of the properties was estimated to be over Rs 100 crore.
Rahman alone was found to be in possession of assets, both moveable and immoveable, of over Rs 6.38 crore, 95% of which was disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The vigilance cell had received a complaint that while Rahman was serving as the Additional District Magistrate of Dhubri, he had acquired huge properties by illegal and corrupt means. Accordingly a probe was initiated on the orders of the Chief Minister’s Office.
“For the purpose of calculating income, assets and expenditure and to work out the value of disproportionate assets and the flow of acquisition of properties in possession of the suspect officer, the check period was taken from 23-6-2002 to 30-4-2021,” an official statement said.
It also said that Rahman was arrested based on sufficient documentary and material evidences against him and for intentionally enriching himself illicitly and committing criminal misconduct during the period of his office.
“…He owned assets that are out of sync with his legal sources of income…He was also unable to satisfactorily account for how he could amass the pecuniary resources/assets or properties disproportionate to his known sources of income,” the statement added.