Guwahati: The Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance cell has summoned several journalists and Right to Information (RTI) workers on the charges of blackmailing Sewali Devi Sharma on Tuesday and is questioning them in response to the allegations made by Sewali Devi Sharma, the primary suspect in the 105 billion State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) scam according to reports.
The CM Vigilance Cell was questioning a journalist named Puja Das as part of their ongoing inquiry when they discovered that several lakhs of rupees had been put in her mother’s bank account, according to sources.
The unit was also interrogating Maina Saikia, also known as Anup Saikia, a close friend of Rabijit Gogoi.
Gogoi, an RTI employee, was previously called into the vigilance cell office where evidence of his demand for Sewali’s money was found on his mobile phone. Then, the cell took two mobile phones and a news agency identity card from his hands.
Several RTI personnel and journalists are reportedly at risk of being detained on suspicion of blackmail.
It has come to light that Lakhi Narayan Sonowal, a former deputy director, is said to have overseen the RTI personnel and accused media.
Previously, Sewali Sharma claimed that numerous Right to Information (RTI) employees and journalists had blackmailed her during an interrogation.
Sharma said that the journalists and coworkers she listed had extorted more than Rs 2 crore from her through blackmail.
It should be noted that Sharma and nine other people were placed in judicial custody on May 20.
Sewali Devi Sharma and Ajit Paul Singh were captured on May 8 in the early hours of the morning at the Cross Lane Hotel in Ajmer, Rajasthan, by the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell (CM’s SVC). Following the discovery of the Rs 105 crore funds embezzlement case, both defendants were on the run.
The sleuths of the CM’s SVC had also captured Rahul Amin and one housekeeper from the hotel in addition to Sewali Devi and Ajit Paul Singh. After presenting them before a court in Rajasthan, they were all sent to Assam on detention for transportation.
Later that day, the SCERT scam involving 105 crores led to the arrest of Sewali Devi Sharma’s younger daughter. Bejeta Sharma, the individual who was arrested, was named. A significant sum of money was reportedly deposited to her bank account.