Guwahati: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Guwahati Zonal Office has raided the Kamakhya Debuttar Board located on the premises of Ma Kamakhya temple in Guwahati on Wednesday, a statement issued by the ED said on Thursday.
The raid was conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 for the alleged misappropriation of funds by the officials of the defunct Kamakhya Debutter Board from 2003 till 2019 to the tune of approximately Rs. 7.62 crore. The Debutter Board Kamakhya was involved into the management of Ma Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati.
The search actions by ED has resulted into the seizure of insurance policies worth Rs. 1.82 crore (approximately) taken out in the name of officials of Kamakhya Debutter Board and their family members. Further, documents related to immovable properties and business entities of officials of Kamakhya Debutter Board and their family members have been seized, the statement issued by the ED said.
Besides, over 27 bank accounts of various related persons have surfaced during searches, it said.
ED said it initiated an investigation on the basis of a FIR registered by the Criminal Investigations Department of Assam Police under various sections of IPC, 1860 for misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs. 7.62 crore against officials of the Board by way of transfer of funds to related entities and routing of the same to entities owned by official for their personal gains.
In order to siphon funds of Ma Kamakhya Temple, these ex-officials hired related/ shell entities for supply of materials like electrical goods, cements, cleaning chemicals, manpower and other services, the statement said.
The funds were then transferred to entities owned by the officials or taken out in cash, it said. Officials mischievously resorted to splitting of bills to keep value under Rs. 50,000 so as to be compliant of court direction forbidding expense of larger amounts without permission of the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup, the probe agency added.
"On Wednesday, ED has conducted search operations, under PMLA, 2002, at the residential premises of Riju Prasad Sarma, then Administrator Kamakhya Debutter Board; Dhiraj Sarma & Naba Kanta Sarma (both since deceased), the ex-officials of the then Debutter Board of Kamakhya in relation with generation of Proceeds of Crime (POC) connected with funds of Ma Kamakhya Temple," the statement said.
