No deadline set for SIT probe into Gaurav Gogoi's links with Pakistan: Assam CM

Guwahati, Sep 9 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged links of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President and MP Gaurav Gogoi with Pakistan has not been given any fixed timeframe to complete its inquiry.

"The SIT has not been assigned a specific deadline to submit its report," the Chief Minister told reporters here.

He added that once the findings are prepared, the report would be scrutinised either by him or by the Chief Secretary before any further decision is taken.

The remarks come amid a high-pitched political battle in the state, with the BJP and the Congress trading charges over the controversy.

While the Chief Minister has repeatedly asserted that "startling revelations" will come out of the probe, the Congress has dismissed the allegations as "politically motivated".

Earlier, CM Sarma said that the probe related to Pakistan links of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and his wife Elizabeth Coleburn might be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) following the final report submission by the SIT.

The Chief Minister had addressed the ongoing investigation into allegations involving Gogoi and his wife's purported links to Pakistan, acknowledging limitations in the current probe being carried out by the state's SIT.

He said that the Assam SIT has a restricted mandate, particularly in accessing communication records.

"The SIT in Assam has a very limited scope. It cannot access telephonic records or connections beyond two years," he added.

Despite these constraints, the Chief Minister commended the SIT for working diligently within its remit.

He underlined that the case's broader dimensions -- concerning citizenship and alleged connections with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) -- fall within the jurisdiction of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

The central probe agencies such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA), he noted, have the capacity to retrieve information dating back to 2010–2011.

Chief Minister Sarma clarified that the state government has not yet requested the NIA to take over the investigation.

"No such request has been made so far. We will take a final decision after the SIT submits its report," he said.

The Chief Minister also said: "The SIT has been given a firm deadline to complete the investigation by September 10, with no extension to be granted. The report will be presented to the state Cabinet on September 11 or 12, after which a decision will be made -- by September 15 -- on whether to transfer the case to the NIA, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), or place it under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs."

--IANS

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