The Assam cabinet has decided to refer the case relating to Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s alleged links with Pakistan to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Sarma said the state government had earlier constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe an alleged anti-India conspiracy involving “three key players” — an MP, his British wife, and Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh.
“The Assam government had constituted an SIT to inquire into the alleged anti-India conspiracy of Sheikh in connivance with a British citizen and an MP. Keeping in mind the seriousness of the matter, it was decided to hand it over to the MHA,” Sarma said.
He added that the SIT report, along with the case registered on the basis of which the probe was conducted, would be forwarded to the MHA, which may assign the matter to any of its investigating agencies.
“The cabinet was of the view that the case involves national security and is not a personal one, with three players involved,” Sarma said.
The chief minister and the BJP have been attacking Gogoi, who also heads the Assam Congress, over his wife Elizabeth Colburn’s alleged connection with Pakistan’s spy agency, the ISI. The state government had formed the SIT to probe claims of interference in India’s internal affairs by Sheikh, who was said to have links with Colburn.
The SIT submitted its report to Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio, on September 10 — the date he had earlier set for producing evidence to back his allegations against Gogoi. He said information that was “not confidential” would be disclosed at a press conference on Sunday, after the cabinet authorised him to do so.
Without naming Gogoi, Sarma said an “honourable MP from Assam” had visited Pakistan when his father was the chief minister. Gogoi’s father, the late Tarun Gogoi, served as Assam chief minister from 2001 to 2016.
The CM claimed that the MP’s visit to Pakistan had not been reported to the central government and that he had “blacked out” his social media accounts during the trip. Gogoi has rejected the allegations, calling Sarma’s remarks “ridiculous, baseless, insane, and nonsense” and accusing him of behaving like an “IT cell troll” without presenting facts.
Sarma also said the SIT was examining a possible “angle of religious conversion”, though he declined to share details. He added that the state-level probe had obtained “sensitive information and materials” but could not proceed further due to the involvement of foreign nationals.
“Help from Interpol is required. Sensitive information from the central government and Parliament is required. As such, it was decided to entrust the case to a central government agency as selected by the MHA,” he said.
The chief minister also claimed there was proof of one of the individuals travelling to Pakistan between 2012 and 2016, but said Assam Police could not collect telephonic evidence, which would require a central agency.
“The government of Assam has conducted a very good investigation. But it is not enough as foreign nationals are involved,” Sarma added.
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