SIT Report On Gogoi's Pak 'Links' Will Be Sent To Centre After Adding Rawalpindi Trip Details, Says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report examining alleged Pakistan links of Congress leader, and Lok Sabha deputy Leader of Opposition Gaurav Gogoi, will be updated and sent to the Centre for further probe after adding the details of the latter’s Rawalpindi trip.

Speaking to reporters, Sarma said fresh details disclosed by the Jorhat MP during a recent press conference would be incorporated into the report before it is sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), given the seriousness of the matter.

"The Special Investigation Team (SIT) report will be amended to include Gogoi’s remarks at the press conference. Two new pieces of information were revealed by him: that his wife took salary directly from Pakistan, and that he had visited Rawalpindi district, which has the Pakistan Army headquarters, without mentioning it in the visa," Sarma said.

Sarma had said that the state Cabinet had discussed the issue and decided that the findings should be referred to the Centre for further investigation.

The controversy centres around allegations raised by the Assam CM that the SIT had found indications of a “deeper connection” involving Gogoi, his British wife Elizabeth Colburn, and Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. Sarma claimed at a press conference earlier this week that sensitive inputs from the Intelligence Bureau were secretly passed on to Pakistan.

The SIT had been set up by the state government to examine claims that Sheikh was attempting to interfere in India’s internal affairs. According to Sarma, the investigation pointed to alleged links between Sheikh and members of Gogoi’s family.

Gogoi has strongly denied the allegations. Responding to the Chief Minister, he described the claims about his alleged Pakistani connections as “completely baseless and absurd”. The matter is now expected to be taken up by central agencies once the revised SIT report is sent to the MHA.

Also read: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Sues Gaurav Gogoi, Bhupesh Baghel & Jitendra Singh; Seeks Rs 500 Crore In Damages