Guwahati, April 24: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Assam government will question Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and his wife Elizabeth Colebourn in June, following serious allegations involving undisclosed visits to Pakistan and Nepal and suspected financial links that may have implications for national security.
Though Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma refrained from naming Gogoi directly during a press briefing on Thursday, he made pointed references to a “senior functionary of the Congress Parliamentary Party who is an MP from Assam.” The Chief Minister revealed that this MP had travelled to Islamabad for 15 days via the Attari land border in Punjab, allegedly without informing either the Assam government or the central authorities—raising concerns about the nature and intent of the visit.
“This individual deliberately avoided using an airport, opting for land travel to slip under the radar. Normally, people use international airports, but he crossed over via Attari,” Sarma said. “The visit raises questions, especially since it was conducted in secrecy and with no public engagements reported.”
Sarma added that the SIT has gathered what he called “significant evidence,” including the claim that the MP’s wife received a salary from Pakistan for three years while working in Delhi. “We’ve examined employees from the concerned organization. All of them have confirmed this arrangement. These are not allegations—we have recorded statements,” he said.
The Chief Minister further said that Gogoi and his wife would be interrogated by the SIT in June or July, and their responses would be included in the final SIT report, expected to be submitted to the Centre and made public by September.
He also pointed to the timing of a separate visit to Nepal, which he described as “clandestine” and “dubious,” raising concerns about possible links to ISI activity in the region at the time. “We are trying to connect the dots between the visits to Pakistan and Nepal. Were they coordinated? Was there a shared agenda? These are very serious questions that the SIT is examining,” Sarma emphasized.
The unfolding investigation marks a major development in Assam’s political landscape and could have broader ramifications, especially as national security becomes a central issue in the current political climate.
As the SIT proceeds with its probe, all eyes will be on the upcoming interrogation and the potential involvement of national agencies, should the case escalate beyond the state’s jurisdiction.
