Guwahati, Feb 17: Amid controversy over the alleged ISI links of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s British wife Elizabeth Colburn, the Assam Police on Monday lodged an FIR against Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh for his social media comments on India’s internal affairs, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Sheikh, an advisor of the Pakistan Planning Commission and a former colleague of Colburn, was charged under various sections of the BNS and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Sarma said that the FIR was lodged against Sheikh as his comments on India’s internal affairs and parliamentary matters were aimed at disrupting communal harmony and the nation’s interests.
”In pursuance of the Cabinet decision taken yesterday, Assam Police has lodged an FIR and the same had been registered as CID PS Case No 05/2025 U/S 48/152/61/197(1) BNS, 2023 RW Sec.13(1) UA(P) Act against Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and unknown others,” the chief minister posted on X.
Section 48 deals with abetment committed outside India, while Section 152 addresses acts exciting secession, armed rebellion and subversive activities. Section 197(1) deals with actions or statements that harm national integration and Section 61 deals with criminal conspiracy.
Section 13(1) of the UAPA deals with Punishment for unlawful activities.
The Assam Cabinet on Sunday had decided not to register any case against the Congress MP or his British spouse, who the BJP has accused of having ISI links, but instructed the DGP to file an FIR against Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh.
DGP Harmeet Singh said, “On receiving Cabinet instruction, CID was asked to file a case and today morning, a case has been registered under CID police station case no. 5/2025, under various sections of BNS 2023 and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and unknown others.”
An investigation has already started, he said adding that it has been noticed that activities of Sheikh are prejudicial to national security.
“The investigation will also look into whether others within and outside India, within Assam or in rest of India, are involved in this,” the DGP said.
The chief minister had said the state government would write to the Centre to probe Colburn’s participation in Lok Sabha campaigns, despite being a British citizen, in the erstwhile Kaliabor constituency, which was won by Gogoi twice.
Sheikh’s social media posts include exhaustive commentary on India’s internal affairs and parliamentary matters, raising serious concerns about his intention to compromise and damage India’s interests, he said.
“The Assam Cabinet also directed the DGP for an extensive inquiry to ascertain whether these activities are part of a larger conspiracy and to identify any sympathisers or associates within Assam and across India who may be aiding Sheikh’s Anti-India agenda,” an official release said.
The Cabinet decision is in contrast to the chief minister’s statement on Saturday that a police case was likely to be registered and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be constituted to probe into the allegations of Pakistan links of Colburn.
The Cabinet Resolution stated that following scrutiny of Sheikh’s social media activity and information available in the public domain, it appears that he has been in contact with Elizabeth.
“Apart from his engagements with the Government of Pakistan, Ali Sheikh has also founded LEAD Pakistan, a non-profit organisation, working in the field of climate change. Smt Elizabeth Gogoi, a British national, was an integral part of LEAD Pakistan during her time spent in Islamabad.
“Furthermore, both Mr Ali Sheikh and Smt Elizabeth Gogoi, a British National, have been a part of global climate action group called the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) which operates in both India and Pakistan,” the resolution said.
Gogoi on Friday had said that the BJP went to extreme steps to defame him and his family and asserted that he would be taking appropriate legal action, while he penned a letter in Assamese addressed to his wife and shared it as a post on Facebook on Saturday, assuring her that truth shall prevail.(PTI)
