Former ABOCWWB chairman arrested: Police

Former chairman of Assam Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board (ABOCWWB) Gautam Baruah, wanted in connection with a vigilance case, has been arrested from New Delhi, police said.

A non-bailable arrest warrant had been issued against him by a special court here in 2019 for alleged misappropriation of board funds, and a process had been initiated for attachment of his property.

A cash reward of Rs one lakh had also been announced by the Chief Ministers Special Vigilance Cell, for any information leading to his arrest.

The accused will be produced before a court in the national capital on Tuesday seeking his transit remand, a police spokesperson said here.

The former ABOCWWB chairman was arrested from a rented accomodation in New Delhi on Monday, the spokesperson said.

Baruah, who held the position as the officiating chairman of the ABOCWWB from 2011 to 2017, was evading the police dragnet ever since a case was registered against him in 2017, he said.

The case was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by Tapan Sarma, the then labour commissioner-cum-member secretary of the ABOCWWB.

Sarma in his complaint had alleged forgery and large scale misappropriation of board funds, by his predecessor member secretary and chairman of the ABOCWWB.

On the basis of an inquiry conducted by the Chief Minister's Special Vigilance Cell in 2017, it was established that there was a criminal conspiracy by the then member secretary of the board Chohan Doley, the then chairman Gautam

Baruah, former administrative officer Nagendra Nath Choudhury and the then proprietor of M/S. Purbashree Printing House Priyangshu Boiragi.

The conspiracy had resulted in alleged misappropriation of over Rs 121 crore from the fund accumulated through collection of cess by the ABOCWWB, vigilance officials said.

Doley, Choudhury and Boiragi were arrested in 2017 and a chargesheet was filed against them in 2018.