SCERT Scam: CM Vigilance Cell arrests four people, including journalists and RTI workers

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• May 30, 2023 | Dhupali Das

The Chief Ministers' Special Vigilance Cell arrested four people on Tuesday in connection with the massive Rs 105 crore...

Digital Desk: The Chief Ministers' Special Vigilance Cell arrested four people on Tuesday in connection with the massive Rs 105 crore-State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) scam.

Those detained by the CM Vigilance Cell included two journalists and two Right To Information Act (RTI) employees whose names came up during the interrogation of major suspect Sewali Devi Sharma in the case.

The people arrested today were identified as RTI employees Anup Saikia and Rabijit Gogoi, as well as journalists Bhaskarjyoti Hazarika and Pujamoni Das.

Reportedly, all of them were taken for medical examinations as per protocol and would be kept at the Pan Bazar Police Station and the All Women Police Station in Pan Bazar tonight. 

According to reports, the quartet will be brought before the court tomorrow.

Speaking about the matter, the superintendent of police (SP) of the CM Vigilance Cell stated that many others are at risk of being caught.

"There is a possibility that many more people will be trapped in the case. Funds had been transferred from the SCERT account to their personnel account. In this context, investigations are underway. The list of names involved with the scam is sure to grow, the official said. 

It should be noted that after the claims made by the principal accused in the SCERT scam, Sewali Devi Sharma, the CM Vigilance Cell summoned numerous journalists and RTI workers earlier today on charges of blackmailing Sewali Devi Sharma.

Continuing their investigation, the CM vigilance cell was questioning a journalist named Pujamoni Das, and it was found that several lakhs of rupees had been put in her mother's bank account, reports said.

The cell was also questioning a close friend of Rabijit Gogoi, identified as Maina Saikia alias Anup Saikia. Gogoi, an RTI employee, was previously summoned to the vigilance cell office, and evidence of him requesting money from Sewali was found on his mobile phone. The cell then grabbed two mobile phones and a news agency identification card from his possession.

Earlier, during interrogation, Sewali Devi Sharma claimed that several RTI employees and journalists blackmailed her. Sharma claimed that the RTI employees and journalists she mentioned blackmailed and extorted more than Rs. 2 crores from her.

Sewali Devi Sharma, along with nine others, was remanded in judicial custody on May 20 in connection with the SCERT scam.