Guwahati: In what is said to be the tip of an iceberg, the anti-corruption and vigilance department in its first drive against corruption recovered a cash of Rs 2 crore and a huge number of animal parts like tiger skins and elephant tusks from one of three houses of a Divisional Forest Officer in Assam.
The principal secretary in the forest department Mr Sanjiv Kumar told this newspaper, “The raid of anti-corruption cell on DFO Mohot Chandra Talukdar has come to our notice. We have already suspended the officer and the department is also looking into other charges in which no action was taken against the officer so far.”
Talukdar, the DFO of Dhemaji forest division, was caught while accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from three businessmen in his office. Sources in the anti-corruption and vigilance cell of the Assam Police said that they recovered over Rs 62 lakh in cash from his official residence in Dhemaji district.
Following the recovery of cash, the vigilance sleuths also raided the house of the DFO in Guwahati and parental residence at Nalbari. Informing that they are yet to open two digital lockers, sources in the department said that they have started the process of calculating and assessing the fixed deposits, land values and other assets of the DFO.
The vigilance sleuths have also seized a few vehicles from his residence, sources said adding that some banned animal parts were recovered from his possession but DFO claims he has licence.
“We are looking into it also,” said a senior vigilance officer who admitted that it was the tip of an iceberg as there were allegations of rampant corruption in the state forest department for the past 15 years.
The new forest minister Pramilla Rani Brahama is believed to have given the go ahead to the department to launch a drive against the corrupt officers in the forest department. Earlier, a forest ranger was also placed under suspension.
