Guwahati: Senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought an independent probe into the alleged financial scam in the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank (ACAB), in which chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is one of the directors and BJP MLA Biswajit Phukan is the chairman.
The Congress MP urged the PM to initiate an independent enquiry into the alleged irregularities at ACAB, including a financial audit and review of its governance.
“Media reports suggest that the bank has been operating without a formal contract with any IT vendor since June 2024, raising serious security and operational concerns. Banking infrastructure costs allegedly surged from Rs 28 crores in 2018 to nearly Rs 250 crores in 2025, with 14 crores allegedly funnelled to KPMG under suspicious circumstances.
“A complaint was reportedly submitted to the Central Vigilance Commission on January 30, but the state government has remained unresponsive. In a March 3 directive, the Assam government’s Cooperation Department instructed the Registrar of Cooperative Societies to investigate the allegations and submit a report within 15 days,” Mr Gogoi claimed.
Pointing out that senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder was arrested by the Guwahati Police on Tuesday midnight and again on Thursday morning in connection with two cases filed by a bank employee and its managing director, Mr Gogoi said, “The misuse of police powers in the arbitrary arrest of journalist Diluwar (Dilwar) Hussain Mozumder must be investigated to ensure accountability. It is also imperative to safeguard press freedom and prevent the wrongful targeting of journalists reporting on matters of public interest.” The arrest of a journalist who was released on Saturday had sparked nationwide protests by journalists, with questions raised on the manner he was apprehended.