Senior Assam IPS officer arrested for possessing assets disproportionate to income

According to a police statement, he amassed movable and immovable property disproportionate to his income between the period 1992 and 2021.

A senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer was arrested on Tuesday by the Assam chief minister’s special vigilance cell for allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income, officials said.

Image for representation. (File photo)

Rounak Ali Hazarika, deputy inspector general of police (border) was arrested from his residence in Hengrabari area of Guwahati under sections 13(1)(a)(b) and 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

According to a police statement, Hazarika amassed movable and immovable property disproportionate to his income between the period 1992 and 2021 and spent over ₹1.74 crore in the education of his two children.

Details of the international travel history of the senior police officer revealed that he has made nine foreign trips without obtaining permission from competent authority as required by service rules.

It was also found that besides his salary account, Hazarika and his family members have several other accounts in different banks which showed large deposits in cash made between 2019 and 2021 when he was posted in Bongaigaon district.

“He was unable to satisfactorily account for how he could amass the pecuniary resources (cash deposits/cheque deposits in his bank accounts from unknown sources during the period 2019-2020) which is disproportionate to his known sources of income,” it added.

Police informed that Hazarika has several properties in Guwahati as well as a resort in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Further investigation is on.