Gaurav Gogoi Pak links: SIT submits report, hints at wider 'conspiracy' against India

Guwahati, Sep 10 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted by the state Cabinet earlier this year to probe the alleged anti-India activities of a Pakistani national, has unearthed “startling facts” pointing towards a wider conspiracy against the country.

In a post on X, the Chief Minister said the SIT, set up on February 17, 2025, was tasked with investigating the role of one Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and his associates. The probe, according to Sarma, has brought to light disturbing revelations that go beyond individual activities and indicate a larger design to undermine India’s sovereignty.

“The SIT has also established the involvement of a British national – who is married to an Indian Member of Parliament – in the nefarious activities linked to Ali Tauqeer Sheikh,” Sarma said.

The Chief Minister further claimed that the SIT’s investigation has exposed how the Ministry of Interior of Pakistan had facilitated the visit of a sitting MP from Assam to that country.

“The role of Pakistan’s official machinery in enabling such engagements is a matter of serious concern,” he added.

Sarma informed that the Assam government will now examine the SIT report in detail before placing it before the state Cabinet.

“Once the matter is discussed in the Cabinet, the information gathered during the enquiry will be made public,” he said.

Earlier, Sarma said that the probe related to Pakistan links of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and his wife Elizabeth Coleburn might be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) following the final report submission by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The Chief Minister had addressed the ongoing investigation into allegations involving Gogoi and his wife’s purported links to Pakistan, acknowledging limitations in the current probe being carried out by the state’s Special Investigation Team (SIT).

CM Sarma pointed out that the Assam SIT has a restricted mandate, particularly in accessing communication records.

“The SIT in Assam has a very limited scope. It cannot access telephonic records or connections beyond two years,” he said.

The Chief Minister underlined that the case’s broader dimensions -- concerning citizenship and alleged connections with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) -- fall within the jurisdiction of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

The central probe agencies, such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA), he noted, have the capacity to retrieve information dating back to 2010–2011.

Sarma clarified that the state government has not yet requested the NIA to take over the investigation.

“No such request has been made so far. We will take a final decision after the SIT submits its report,” he said.

--IANS

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