Guwahati, (Samajweekly) A day after former Assam Congress MP Ranee Narah was quizzed by the Chief Minister’s vigilance cell, she was again called by the investigating officers for appearing before it on Thursday, in connection with an alleged hand-pump scam that occurred during 2012-13 when Narah was the Union Minister of State in then Manmohan Singh cabinet.
However, the Congress leader skipped the summon citing her poor health conditions.
Narah’s advocate told reporters here, “She has been suffering from multiple health issues. She was advised to be admitted to the hospital. That is why she sent a letter to the investigating officers requesting to grant her two weeks’ time to appear before them for questioning.”
The advocate claimed that the investigating officers verbally accepted the request and a new date will be informed to Narah soon.
Meanwhile, her attorney further claimed that she is fully cooperating with the inquiry.
Earlier, Narah accompanied by her husband Bharat Narah, an MLA and former state Cabinet minister, had appeared before the Special Vigilance Cell of the CM’s office on Tuesday.
She was questioned by members of the CM’s Special Vigilance Cell for approximately six hours before the Narah couple left the office.
After the marathon questioning, the Congress leader said, “I responded to all of the queries of the investigating officers. I am satisfied with it, and I think they are satisfied with my replies as well.”
When Narah was the Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs in the UPA government from 2012 to 2014, it was alleged that misappropriation of funds took place for the installation of hand pumps in Jorhat district in 2013-14.
Following a CAG report on the irregularities, a report to the state Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) led to the filing of a complaint in 2017, accusing Narah’s MPLAD scheme of widespread financial mismanagement.
Meanwhile, allegations of land grabbing against the former Lakhimpur MP and her husband Bharat Narah had also surfaced.
