A day after the arrest of the notorious kingpin of an inter-state auto theft racket, the Assam Assembly Speaker on Saturday sought an explanation from a ruling Congress legislator Rumi Nath over her alleged connections with the auto theft kingpin.
The alleged connection between the legislator and the criminal came to the fore after the police found that the kingpin, Anil Chauhan, had in his car pasted some passes, issued by the Assam legislative Assembly authorities at the MlA’s recommendations.
Anil Chauhan, who was arrested by the Guwahati police on Friday, is one of the kingpin of the country’s auto theft racket and that he was wanted by police in Mumbai, New Delhi and Meghalaya. The passes were issued against the same vehicle between 2013 and 2015. In 2013, the MlA was shown as its owner. But in the next two years, its ownership was with Chauhan. Assam legislative Assembly Principal Secretary, GP Das confirmed the passes were issued at the recommendation of the Congress legislator.
“According to the direction of Speaker Pranab Gogoi, I have sent a letter to the MlA asking her to explain her position. She has to give her reply by April 8,” he said. Nath, however, said she had known Chauhan’s wife Rita for long and as such, gave her recommendations for the passes.
“I didn’t know who Chauhan was. His wife is a Congress worker whom I have known for years. So, I gave my recommendations for the passes for her,” the MlA said. But the political parties refused to buy her argument. They demanded a high-level probe into her alleged nexus with the notorious criminal who kept the police on their toes in several States.
“She should have checked the credentials of the person she was giving her recommendations for the passes. Since allegations galore about her nexus with the ring leader of the gang of criminals, there should be a probe into it,” said sitting Congress MlA and former Minister P Manjhi.
“The incident only establishes that there is nexus between the ruling party MlAs and the criminals. We demand a high-level probe into the matter,” said Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Atul Bora. “The statement, she gave to the media, is not trustworthy. So, let there be a probe. It will also unravel if Chauhan had nexus with other lawmakers,” said Abdul Rahim Khan, who is an MlA of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).