Ex-CM’s son Ashok Saikia gets bail in bank fraud case

GUWAHATI:

A day after his arrest in connection with the alleged default of a loan 25 years ago, former Assam chief minister Hiteswar Saikia’s younger son Ashok Saikia was granted bail by a CBI court on November 8.

Ashok  walked out of the court premises after spending a night in the custody of the investigating agency.

Ashok, on November 7, was booked after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him for not appearing in the court despite summons.

Ashok, a businessman, had issued a statement through his elder brother on Sunday stating that he had repaid the loan he had taken in 1996 from Assam State Co-operative Agriculture and Rural Development Bank Ltd (ASCARD). The former CM's son also shared a purported letter from the then ASCARD general manager in-charge stating that no dues were pending.

“The CBI team suddenly came to our house and said my loan is pending. I did not receive any notice from the CBI or the court. I do not know why the CBI has pushed me into a baseless and fictitious case. Only the CBI or the government will know this," Saikia said.

His elder brother Debabrata Saikia, who is the Leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly, had also shared the purported ASCARD certificate with the media on Sunday.

It was issued by its then general manager in-charge H N Borah on October 28, 2015 and said that Ashok Kumar Saikia, the director of HPS India Pvt Ltd, had availed a loan of ₹ 9,37,701 under the bridge loan scheme in 1996.

However, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Bora on Monday alleged that the CBI has arrested Ashok Saikia in a falsely fabricated case. “The arrest shows to what extent they go and once again establishes their revengeful attitude toward their opponents,” Bora said in a statement.

“If Himanta Biswa Sarma has the courage, then let him order inquiry of Sharada Scam, Louise Berger Scandal, Dima Hasao Money Laundering cases and arrange CBI raids in the residence of the scam masters,” he said.

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