Assam govt to reopen LOC scam

The Assam government has decided to reopen the multi-crore Letter of Credit (LOC) scandal case that rocked the state during the erstwhile Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) rule under Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

The Assam government has decided to reopen the multi-crore Letter of Credit (LOC) scandal case that rocked the state during the erstwhile Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) rule under Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

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"The government has decided to reopen the case and will approach the CBI to restart its investigation," Assam Government Spokesman and senior minister Pradyut Bordoloi told reporters on Tuesday.

He said a formal decision in this regard would be taken at the next cabinet meeting.

The LOC scandal rocked the state during Mahanta's regime in 1996 but the CBI probe into the matter was closed after the then Governor refused permission to prosecute the chief minister.

Bordoloi said although the CBI which was probing the scandal wanted to interrogate Mahanta but could not as the chief minister managed to escape prosecution.

"But now we shall reopen the case and see that the agency (CBI) prosecutes Mahanta as he is no longer the chief minister," he said.