Agencies
GUWAHATI, APRIL 14
The police on Tuesday arrested controversy-prone Congress legislator Rumi Nath for her alleged links with international car-lifting racket kingpin Anil Chauhan, including on charges of allegedly recommending car-pass for Chauhan to enter the premises of the Assam Legislative Assembly and MLA Hostel campus.Confirming this, Guwahati Police Commissioner Jyotirmoy Chakravarty said Nath was arrested from her quarter in the Assembly Hostel campus, following which she was taken to the Dispur police station. She was arrested in connection with two cases registered in two different police stations – Dispur and Azara – in which car-theft kingpin Anil Chauhan was already arrested last week.
The police meanwhile have frozen as many as 17 bank accounts belonging to Anil Chauhan, with joint commissioner Nawab Haque indicating that more people are likely to be arrested. Rumi Nath’s second husband (since divorced) Jackie Zakir was also arrested in connection with this case last week.
Police have so far invoked Section 120(B) – criminal conspiracy, Section 212 – harbouring offenders, Section 420 – cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, and Section 468 – forgery for the purpose of cheating – in connection with the two cases registered so far.
Congress MLA from the Barkhola constituency in Cachar district of southern Assam, Rumi Nath was reportedly evading arrest during which she applied for an anticipatory bail which was turned down by the Gauhati High Court on Friday. The police today tracked her down in her ML Hostel quarter and arrested her after obtaining permission from Speaker Pranab Kumar Gogoi.
While Anil Chauhan, the car-lifting kingpin was arrested in the outskirts of Guwahati city on April 3, Congress legislator Rumi Nath got entangled in the case after police discovered at least one vehicle owned by Chauhan which had a car-pass sticker for entry into the Assembly campus, which was issued on her recommendation.
Though she denied knowing Chauhan Nath however has already admitted that she knew Chauhan’s wife Rita for a long time and that she (Nath) had recommended car-pass only for her. The police as well as the State Assembly Secretariat are separately probing into thi aspect.
Prone to controversies one after the other, legislator Rumi Nath first hit headlines by casting vote for the Congress in the 2010 Rajya Sabha election even when she was then a BJP legislator. A year later she won from Bakhola again as Congress candidate and was back in the news for dumping her first husband and marrying a government employee called Jackie Zakir. A few months back she separated from Zakir too.
No links with car thief: Rumi
Congress MLA Rumi Nath on Monday broke her silence for the first time after reports of her alleged links with notorious vehicle thief Anil Chauhan came to light.
Rumi could not be contacted since Chauhan was arrested on April 4. She claimed she was unwell, but was available at her official residence in Dispur.
"I am ready to cooperate with police.
I did not try to escape interrogation, rather, the police has not contacted me so far," Rumi told the media.
Rumi's name surfaced after Chauhan was found to possess car passes for entering the state secretariat premises which, it was presumed, he got from the MLA.
It was suspected the Anil received political patronage and bestowed cash rewards in return.
"I knew Anil Chauhan's wife Rita Chauhan who was a Congress worker. She asked for car passes and I signed the forms.
I don't know what she has done with them or whose names were written on the passes.
I trusted her and was unaware of Anil's activities too," the MLA claimed.
Nath, who was served with a showcause notice from the speaker and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee earlier in this regard, had defended herself in writing clarifying her stand.
Regarding her ex-husband Jacky Zakir and personal security officer's arrest on charges of having close links with Anil, the MLA said, "It's a part of a political conspiracy. I am sure truth will come to the fore soon."
Earlier, fearing her possible arrest Nath had moved the High Court seeking anticipatory bail, which was rejected.
"Applying for bail doesn't mean I am guilty. I have full faith in the judiciary," she said and added that she will not move the Supreme Court for her bail.
A senior official said, "The HC has asked for the case diary and we are working on collecting and corroborating the evidences. As many as 17 bank accounts of Anil have been frozen."
