Guwahati, Jul 31 (PTI) The Assam cabinet on Thursday approved the transfer of the probe into the suspected suicide of an assistant engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
A seven-member Special Investigating Team (SIT) was formed to probe the suspected suicide of the engineer of the PWD's Bongaigaon sub-division, Sarma said at a press conference here.
The assistant engineer was found dead in her rented apartment on July 22. She was suspected to have died by suicide as she was allegedly under immense pressure from seniors to overlook malpractices in the construction of a mini-stadium in Bongaigaon.
The chief minister said that the incident site was videographed and examined by officials of the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) and the crime scene officer.
Inquest, post-mortem examination, Call Detail Record (CDR) analysis, and seizures have been completed, he said.
Three accused have been arrested, and a notice under sections of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was issued, Sarma said.
The case warrants a thorough investigation due to public concern and possible inter-state links, he added.
The Opposition Congress had written to Governor Laxman Prasad Acharya seeking a probe by the CBI or any other independent central agency into the assistant engineer's alleged suicide.
The other decisions of the council of ministers include approval of the expansion of the ambit of Chief Minister's Jibon Anuprerana Scheme to cover all full-time current research scholars, including PWD scholars, enrolled in government or public institutions in Assam, admitted on or after April 1, 2021, Sarma said.
The cabinet also accorded the administrative approval for 24x7 supply of drinking water to Badarpur town from Barak River under Town Water Supply Scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 49.588 crore, which includes seven years of Operation and Maintenance (O&M).
The council of ministers approved ex-gratia assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of SwaJal Mitras and Jal Sahayaks in case of their sudden death.
The cabinet approved the settlement of land in favour of 1,742 indigenous landless families residing within 1 km to 5 km of the periphery of the Dhemaji town.
The council of ministers also approved the inclusion of people from Ahom, Matak, Moran, Chutia, Gorkha, Adivasi communities, who have been occupying the land prior to 2011, in the list of protected classes of persons in the Tirap Tribal Belt of Tinsukia district.
This inclusion will enable land settlement for more than 20,000 individuals in these communities residing in Tirap Tribal Belt, Sarma added.