Assam CM Updates on Probe into Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s Alleged Pakistan Links
Guwahati, Sep 9: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma dropped some key details on Tuesday about the ongoing investigation into alleged Pakistan connections of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and his wife Elizabeth Coleburn. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) looking into this hasn’t got a strict deadline to wrap up, Sarma told reporters in Guwahati.
"The SIT doesn’t have a fixed timeframe to submit its report," the Chief Minister explained. He added that once the team finishes its work, he’ll review the findings personally or pass them to the Chief Secretary before deciding the next steps. This comes right in the middle of a heated political clash in Assam, where the BJP and Congress are firing accusations at each other over the whole controversy.
Sarma has been vocal about expecting "startling revelations" from the probe, while the Congress calls the whole thing a "politically motivated" attack. Earlier, the CM hinted that the case might shift to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after the SIT’s report lands.
Diving deeper into the Assam SIT probe, Sarma pointed out its limitations. "Our state SIT has a limited scope—it can’t dig into phone records or connections older than two years," he said. Still, he praised the team for pushing hard within those boundaries.
The bigger picture here involves questions of citizenship and supposed ties to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which Sarma says falls under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Central agencies like the NIA can pull up data going back to 2010-2011, giving them a wider reach.
For now, the state government hasn’t asked the NIA to step in. "We haven’t made any request yet. We’ll decide after the SIT report comes in," Sarma clarified.
In a fresh update, the Chief Minister revealed that the SIT actually faces a tight deadline—they must finish by September 10, with no extensions allowed. The report will go to the state Cabinet on September 11 or 12, and by September 15, they’ll choose whether to hand it over to the NIA, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), or the Home Ministry. This fast timeline keeps everyone on their toes in this high-stakes Assam political drama.
