Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 31 Aug: The Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court on Wednesday gave three weeks to petitioner Payi Gyadi, who had in January this year filed a public interest litigation (PIL) with regard to the APPSC cash-for-job scam, to respond to the affidavit published by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Guwahati.
In an affidavit dated 12 August, the ED’s Itanagar sub-zonal assistant director and the investigating officer of the case, Dheeraj Kumar Goyal, stated that, “based on FIR No RC0172022A0009 of 26/10/2022, registered by the CBI, ACB, Guwahati, and as Sections 420 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and 7, 8 & 13 (1) (a) r/w 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and has been recorded by the ED on 25/1/2023 and investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2022 initiated.”
The affidavit disclosed eight names – Akhilesh Yadav, Taket Jerang, Tama Saroh, Thomas Gaduk, Tanyang Gaduk, Loth Ezing, Binam Jomang, and Talung Jomang.
It stated that “a chargesheet (No 5/2022) was filed by the ACB, CBI, invoking 7, 8, 13 (2) & 13 (1) (a) of the IPC Act 1988 and 120 (b) 408, 411 of the Indian Penal Code was lodged. The directorate issued summons to them. However, none of them appeared, citing different reasons. The ED also made an effort to get the versions of the complainants.”
The affidavit stated also that “Respondents No 1 to 5 have stated that the ED has recorded a case under the provision of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 on 25/1/2023.” It further stated that “the investigation under the provision of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, is in process.”
“The details of the suspected persons from various telecom companies are gathered to accumulate the relevant evidence,” it stated.
It stated also that, “based on the evidences, further lawful actions will be taken as per the provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.”
The ED also submitted an application to the special court in Yupia, seeking permission to record the statement of the persons arrested in the case who were in judicial custody in the district jail in Jully.
Meanwhile, Gyadi expressed resentment over the “investigation process of the ED” and said that “it has not covered fully.”
He said also that, “out of the more than 40 arrested persons in the cash-for-job scam, only eight persons are being investigated.”
“I filed my PIL in January this year, and the response (affidavit) has come this late. There should be a permanent ED office here in the state, wherein the work can be properly monitored,” he said.
Gyadi added that “the ED officials did not come to the state but through rotary,” and claimed that “the status report is too weak.”
Gyadi further said that ED officials violated Sections 17 and 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. “They have not seized the property and have not arrested the persons involved,” he said.
Gyadi will respond to the PIL affidavit after three months.
In the first affidavit, the case number had not been mentioned.