Gauhati HC Acquits All Accused in Rs 1,000 Crore North Cachar Hills Scam

The Gauhati High Court on Friday released all the individuals accused in the Rs 1,000 crore North Cachar Hill scam.

Among the notable acquittals are former militant-turned-politicians Jewel Garlosa, Niranjan Hojai, and Mohit Hojai, the former Chief Executive Member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC). These individuals had been serving life sentences since 2017 after a National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court found them guilty.

Former Social Welfare Department's CDPO and in-charge Deputy Director of NC Hills, Md Redaul Hussain Khan, also secured acquittal, although he had previously spent 12 years in jail and is currently on bail.

The court's decision stemmed from concerns over the quality of the investigation, stating that it did not meet the necessary standards. Furthermore, the High Court acquitted an additional twelve individuals who had received sentences ranging from eight to 13 years for their roles in the multi-crore scam. Khan had been arrested for allegedly conspiring with others to misappropriate government funds totaling Rs 17, 24, 17,200 from various development schemes of the Agriculture Department, NC Hills.

NIA's findings indicated that the convicts had diverted substantial funds from government departments between 2006 and 2009. Shockingly, the investigation also uncovered the diversion of funds to the DHD-J, potentially financing arms procurement for anti-India activities.

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