The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) arrested Padma Kanta Hazarika, former Project Director of Assam Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd (AFDCL), in Puri, Odisha.
He will be brought to Guwahati on a four-day transit remand for interrogation in connection with the Assam fisheries scam.
Officials said Hazarika’s arrest marks the ninth in the case registered under ACB PS Case No. 30/2023 related to misappropriation of AFDCL funds. The Vigilance Department confirmed the arrest on X, stating that the accused was produced before a Puri court, which granted transit remand for his transfer to Assam.
Last week, eight officials, including Assam Civil Service officers Anuradha Adhikary Sarma and Naren Chandra Basumatary, were arrested for alleged financial irregularities. The DVAC conducted coordinated operations across Guwahati, Belsor, Gauripur, and Raha, exposing the widespread nature of the scam.
Among those previously arrested are former AFDCL engineers Jyotish Saikia and Birinchi Adhikary, along with assistant engineers and project managers linked to the corporation. Investigators said the arrests form part of a larger probe into fund diversion and misuse of government allocations meant for fisheries development.
The DVAC continues to examine financial records and digital evidence to trace the flow of misappropriated funds. Officials said more arrests are likely as the investigation expands.
