Concealing facts: Allegations against BJP candidate in North Karimganj, Dr. Manash Das

In the upcoming Assam assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has selected Dr Manash Das as their official candidate for the LA-3 North Karimganj constituency. As required by the law and the orders of the Election Commission of India, running candidates must submit their pending criminal cases if any along with all other biodata to the Election Commission while filing their nominations.

Manash Das did so accordingly, citing that no criminal case is pending in his name. But in a letter directed towards the Chief Election Commissioner of India by a petitioner revealed that a case under Sections 409 and 420 of the IPC is still pending against Dr Manash Das at the Karimganj Police Station in the Karimganj district of Assam. He has been accused of corruption and huge misappropriation of public money amounting to more than Rs. 22.80 lakhs during his tenure as the Chairman Karimganj Municipal Board (KMB) from 2009 to 2014. However, there has been no mention of this case in the Form 26 affidavit of Dr Manash Das. This action is a direct violation of Section 33A and 125A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 as well as several orders passed by the Election Commission of India. Furthermore, as per the Honourable Supreme Court’s direction dated September 25, 2018, Dr Manash Das was also supposed to inform his party, the BJP. about the criminal cases pending against him, which he failed to do so.

The FIR was filed by Srikanta Bhattacharjee of Longai road, Karimganj dated December 19, 2016, and registered at the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Karimganj. The next date of hearing of the case has been scheduled for April 31, 2021. The name of the petitioner, Hrishiraj Bhattacharjee, hails from Karimganj and is an alumnus of the National Institute of Technology, Silchar (NITS) and King’s College, London. In the FIR, it was mentioned that a finance Committee was duly constituted and the said committee had submitted a report on February 17, 2010, stating that unprecedented corruption has taken place in the conservancy department since the formation of the board and there is 200% increase in Conservancy expenditure as compared to the previous Board.

It was also mentioned in the FIR that several political parties had also lodged complaints before the then Deputy Commissioner against the rampant corruption charges put against Manash Das. The then Deputy Commissioner, on receipt of such complaints, asked the then ADC, Karimganj as well as the Finance & Accounts Officer and the Treasury Officer, Karimganj to make an enquiry and build a detailed report. Accordingly, they did so and submitted the Enquiry Report on July 25, 2011, stating that financial irregularities of serious nature are revealed, wherein it is clearly mentioned that the accused person had withdrawn Rs. 22.80 lakhs by self-cheques from different funds and in total he has misappropriated a huge amount. No proper accounts have been maintained and the entire amount has been misappropriated by the accused and despite various complaints, no appropriate action has been initiated against the said accused by the appropriate authority.

The informant referred to the hearing dated December 2, 2013 by the Hon’ble Justice Ujjal Bhuyan of the Gauhati High Court, where it was mentioned that an FIR should be lodged against Dr Manash Das to properly investigate the alleged corruption during his tenure at KMB. Finding no other alternative way, Dr Manash Das had subsequently filed a writ appeal (WA – 64/2014) at a Division Bench of the Guwahati High Court against the judgment of the Single Judge. However, the writ appeal was dismissed on March 28, 2017 by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India Ajit Singh and Hon’ble Justice Manojit Bhuyan of the Gauhati High Court.

Meanwhile, Dr. Manash Das is et to come up with a statement regarding this allegation of a pending case against him. The BJP too has not given any statement regarding this brazen revelation.