Pakistani company hires Gogoi wife, salary paid by Ali Sheikh: Himanta makes big allegation against MP India News

New Delhi: The Assam cabinet on Saturday decided to hand over the case related to Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s alleged links with Pakistan to the home ministry, Chief Minister Naimanta Biswa Sarma It said the matter involved national security and state agencies could not investigate further.The decision comes amid claims by Sarma that a Pakistani company offered Gogoi’s British wife Elizabeth Colborne a job and later transferred her to India, where her salary was allegedly paid by Pakistani national Ali Taukur Sheikh. The Chief Minister said the Special Investigation Team has reached its limit and the central agency must continue with the investigation.

Assam chief minister says case involves national security

Briefing reporters after chairing a cabinet meeting in Guwahati, Sarma said the cabinet has decided to hand over the matter to the Centre.

“The Assam government has set up a special investigation team to investigate Sheikh’s alleged connivance with a British citizen and a parliamentarian in an anti-India conspiracy. Considering the seriousness of the matter, it has been decided to hand it over to the home ministry,” he said.“The SIT report and the case registered on the basis of the investigation will be forwarded to the Home Ministry. The Home Ministry can utilize any of its investigative agencies to take forward the investigation,” Sarma added.He said the cabinet considered the case “relevant to national security, not an individual case and involving three individuals”.

Limitations of national surveys

Sarma said the SIT had obtained sensitive material but could not proceed further without assistance from a central agency.“The Security Investigation Service has obtained sensitive information and material from various sources,” he said, adding that “interpol’s help is needed. Sensitive information from central government and parliament is needed”.“Our investigation has limitations. However, within these limitations, the information we collect is very important. When it reaches the NIA or IB or CBI, they take action,” Sarma said.“What we do is only 10%, 90% remains to be discovered,” he added.

Charges related to Pakistan visit

Sarma did not name Gogoi but said: “I can at least confirm that an honorable MP from Assam visited Pakistan when his father was chief minister.”Gogoi’s father, the late Tarun Gogoi, served as president of the Congress government in Assam from 2001 to 2016.The chief minister claimed that the central government did not disclose the MP’s visit to Pakistan and claimed that he had switched off social media during his stay.Sarma also said there was evidence that one of the people involved traveled to Pakistan between 2012 and 2016, but added that Assam police were unable to collect phone evidence.“The Assam government has conducted a very good investigation. However, it is not enough as foreigners are involved,” he said.

SIT report will be made public

The SIT had submitted its report to Sarma, who is also home minister, on September 10, the date originally set by the chief minister to provide evidence in support of his allegations.After repeated delays, Sarma said “the non-confidential information will be disclosed at a press conference on February 8” and that the cabinet authorized him to do so.He also did not rule out a “religious conversion angle” but declined to go into details.

Salma says investigation is not about politics

Earlier, Sarma had said the investigation was purely for national security reasons.“This investigation is for national security. Its political implications are secondary,” he said, adding that a Pakistani citizen and a British citizen played a “central role” in the case.The SIT was set up to investigate alleged interference in India’s internal affairs by Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who was allegedly in touch with Gogoi’s British wife Elizabeth Colburn.

Gogoi denies the charges

Gogoi, meanwhile, had earlier denied the allegations, terming Sarma’s remarks as “ridiculous, baseless, crazy and nonsense” and accused the chief minister of behaving like an “IT cell troll” with no basis in fact.Responding to the allegations involving his wife, Gogoi said: “If my wife is an ISI agent in Pakistan, then I am an R&AW agent in India.”He alleged that the charges were politically motivated and aimed at diverting attention from the allegations against the chief minister.