Assam, Nov 8: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on November 7 booked former Assam chief minister Hiteswar Saikia’s younger son Ashok Saikia (director of HBS India Pvt. Ltd) in connection with Assam State Cooperative Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (ASCARD) fraud case of 1996.

A team of CBI officials had raided his Dispur residence and arrested him. According to sources, Saikia will be presented in front of a CBI Special Court on November 9.

Sources said the sleuths had carried out the raid based on a Paltan Bazar Police Station case (202/98) registered by employees of the Assam State Co-operative and Agriculture Development (ASCARD) Bank back in 1998 for non-repayment of the loan amount.

The case

As per reports, Ashok, a businessman, had taken a loan of Rs. 9.37 lakh from the Assam State Cooperative and Agriculture Development (ASCARD) Bank in 1996.

The central agency had registered two cases against Saikia and he was convicted in one of them.

A case was initially registered against him with the police in Guwahati and, later, transferred to the CBI in 2001 after two more complaints were filed. Ashok claimed he had repaid the loan long ago and was being victimised.

Saikia says he’s being victimized

Saikia, in a statement, said he repaid the loan in 2011 through a “compromised settlement scheme”.

“A proof to this effect was also issued by the bank back in 2015 undersigned by the bank’s then-general manager. This is a fake case staged against me by people with a vested interest,” he said in the statement.

He had also shared a notice with the bank’s letterhead, certifying him to be free of any debt undersigned by H.N. Borah designated as the General Manager in charge of the bank.

Debabrata Saikia’s response on his brother’s arrest

Responding to his brother’s arrest, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia said, “He has said that he had already repaid the balance amount and he also has relevant documents to prove that. If he has already repaid the amount and a case has been filed against him, why has the bank not intimidated the investigating agency? Also, CBI officials claim they sent several intimations to my brother at our residence regarding the outstanding amount, but though my mother stays there, we haven’t received any such intimation.”