The vigilance and anti-corruption bureau of Assam police on Thursday arrested the former secretary of Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Chabin Rajkhowa, in connection with alleged financial irregularities during his tenure there.
The anti-graft wing of the Assam police in July last year registered a case (number 22/2017) under Sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 420 (cheating) and 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the IPC and 13 (1) (d) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Rajkhowa and two other officials for their alleged involvement in the financial irregularities of Rs 1.10 crore.
Rajkhowa was the secretary of the Kalakshetra from July 2, 2009, to July 11, 2011.
Police sources said Rajkhowa has been arrested from his Guwahati residence and he was produced in the Special Judge’s Court here, which sent him to four-day custody of vigilance and anti-corruption bureau.
The case was registered by the bureau for alleged misappropriation of government funds amounting to more than Rs 1.10 crore released to the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Society by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA).
There had been allegations that Sarma had withdrawn more than Rs 1.1 crore from the bank account of the Kalakshetra on Rajkhowa’s directive and disbursed the amount to an unknown person without taking any money receipt and without making any entry in the cash book.
The centre had released the amount to the Kalakshetra Society to organise the Indigenous Folk Theatre Festival 2011-12 there from March 23 to March 28, 2011.
Earlier in March this year, the anti corruption wing had arrested Dwipen Sharma, Treasurer and Assistant Accountant of Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra.