Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe had flagged serious allegations against Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, the British-born wife of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, involving her Pakistan-era employment and alleged foreign fund transfers that may have violated India’s Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA).
CM Sarma told reporters here, “Elizabeth Gogoi was an integral part of LEAD Pakistan — a climate-change non-profit body founded by Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh — during her stint in Islamabad. She reportedly worked on international climate projects that linked to both India and Pakistan, including shared involvement in the global Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN).”
The SIT probe revealed that Elizabeth Gogoi maintained a “shadow” employment setup: a Pakistani NGO employed her in Islamabad and later transferred her work to India.
CM Sarma said that a Pakistan-based firm hired Elizabeth Gogoi and then “later transferred her to India”, with her salary allegedly paid by Sheikh.
“These payments from abroad, as per the SIT findings, were routed through Indian bank accounts in potential violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). In effect, the SIT says, a unit called “LEAD India” was set up in New Delhi as a conduit for foreign funds, bypassing FCRA limits,” CM Sarma said.
The Chief Minister also accused Elizabeth Gogoi of transmitting sensitive government information to her Pakistani associate.
The SIT findings reportedly found that she handed over an internal confidential Assam government report (containing material deemed classified) to Sheikh during her Pakistan tenure. If true, this transfer of official documents could breach India’s Official Secrets Act.
The Assam government has cited the confidentiality of this allegation and has not released the full SIT text.
Addressing reporters here, CM Sarma has questioned why Elizabeth Gogoi continued to act as a foreign national while participating in Indian elections, and whether she should have disclosed her Pakistan ties to authorities.
The Chief Minister asserted that these findings are a matter of “national security” and not politics.
He announced that the Assam Cabinet has forwarded the SIT dossier on the Congress MP and his wife to the Union Home Ministry, recommending that central agencies take the lead on further investigation.
(IANS)
