Disproportionate Assests Case: Kokrajhar CDPO Arrested; Over Rs 3 Lakh Found in Car

The Chief Minister's Special Vigilance Cell arrested Surjya Baruah, the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) of Assam’s Kokrajhar district on Tuesday. He will be produced before the court later today. 

As per sources, a total of Rs 3.50 lakh cash was recovered from the CDPO’s Scorpio vehicle today during a search conducted by the CM Vigilance team. The vehicle, which had been kept under Vigilance custody, was searched, leading to the discovery of the money inside a bag. Following the recovery, Baruah’s Scorpio was seized for further investigation.

It may be mentioned that Baruah was apprehended on Monday evening on charges of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. CDPO Surjya Baruah was detained in Kokrajhar and brought to Guwahati for further legal proceedings. After arriving in Guwahati, he underwent a medical check-up before being held at Panbazar Police Station.

As per sources, the CM Vigilance team has uncovered that Surjya Baruah owns a fleet of 12 luxury vehicles, including a BMW, a Fortuner, and a Scorpio.

Baruah had been serving in Debitola for the past 12 years, during which he is suspected of amassing disproportionate assets through corrupt practices. Officials believe that he misused his position to accumulate wealth far exceeding his known sources of income.

Further investigations have revealed that his wife owns a petrol depot in Morigaon, along with a construction company. Reports indicate that Baruah's total assets are nearly three times his legitimate earnings.

Notably, last month, the CM’s vigilance cell had raided Baruah's residence and office. Search operations were conducted at his residence, Ananda Nagar, in Guwahati’s Bhangagarh area. Reportedly, Baruah owns multiple properties in several places across the city. The vigilance team had also conducted raids at his office in Dhubri as part of the ongoing probe into the case. Earlier, during a raid at the CDPO's residence, the vigilance team seized ₹38 lakh in cash, a .32 pistol, 44 rounds of ammunition, and a collection of gold jewelry.