Another Assam BJP leader arrested for duping man to pay for govt job

Ansarul Choudhury is the second BJP leader in Assam to be arrested over the past week for allegedly cheating people into paying money for government jobs

SILCHAR: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Assam was arrested on Thursday on charges of duping a man into paying a ₹5 lakh bribe for a government job, the Hailakandi police said on Friday.

The Hailakandi BJP confirmed that Ansarul Haque Choudhury was a state executive member of Assam BJP’s minority wing. (Facebook/Ansarul Choudhury)

Ansarul Haque Choudhury, state executive member of Assam BJP’s minority wing, was arrested by the Hailakandi district police on Thursday in connection with a first information report (FIR) registered against him under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Choudhury is the second BJP leader in Assam to be arrested over the past week for allegedly cheating people into paying money for state government jobs. Last week, police in the Karbi Anglong district arrested another BJP functionary, Moon Ingtipi in Karbi Anglong district on similar charges.

In both cases, police said the suspects flaunted their links to senior party leaders at the district and state level.

Police said Ansarul was placed under arrest on Thursday evening, hours after he was detained in connection with a complaint by Dilwar Hussain Barbhuiya of Dhalai Molai village. According to the FIR, Choudhury initially asked Barbhuiya for ₹3 lakh for a government job.

“We gave him the money because he said he has a personal connection with chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He showed us his photographs with the chief minister,” Barbhuiya said in the complaint.

Barbhuiya said Ansarul asked for more money a few months back and they paid him ₹5 lakh in three instalments.

But Choudhury couldn’t deliver on his promise.

“The state government last month distributed appointment letters and our candidate’s name was not there,” Barbhuiya’s complaint said.

Police said there were similar complaints against Ansarul Haque Choudhury as well. In all these cases, Choudhury convinced his victims to believe him on the strength of his photographs with chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other government functionaries such as Pijush Hazarika and Ajanta Neog that he uploaded on social media.

Swapan Bhattacharjee, president of the Hailakandi unit of BJP, said they are aware of the arrest but declined to comment, claiming that the matter was before the courts.

“We believe the law and police are investigating the matter, we hope that the truth will come out,” he said on Friday.

Bhattacharjee said the state committee will decide on the action to be taken against Choudhury.