Guwahati: ED raids ex office-bearers homes of now-defunct Kamakhya Temple Board

Guwahati: Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Wednesday, raided the homes of former office-bearers of the now-defunct Kamakhya Debutter Board, which previously oversaw the management of the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati.

The raid was conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 for allegedly misappropriating funds totaling Rs 7.62 crore from 2003 till 2019 .

According to an ED statement, the investigation was launched following an FIR registered by the Criminal Investigations Department of Assam Police under various sections of IPC, 1860, that accused Kamakhya Debutter Board officials of embezzling funds between 2003 and 2019.

The statement revealed that former officials engaged in fraudulent activities to siphon off temple funds by hiring related or shell companies to supply goods and services, such as electrical equipment, cement, cleaning chemicals, and labor.

These entities were allegedly owned by the officials themselves, or funds were withdrawn in cash.

To evade scrutiny, the officials reportedly split bills into amounts under Rs 50,000 to bypass court restrictions on spending without the Deputy Commissioner's permission.

As part of the ongoing investigation, the ED searched the residences of Riju Prasad Sarma, the former administrator of the Kamakhya Debutter Board, as well as two other deceased officials.

During the raid, the ED seized insurance policies worth Rs. 1.82 crore (approximately) and documents related to properties and business entities connected to the officials.

Besides, over 27 bank accounts of various related persons have surfaced during searches, it said.

The Kamakhya Debutter Board, which was established in 1998, was declared defunct by the Supreme Court in 2015 following a long-standing power struggle between the board and the Bordeuri Samaj, the traditional priest families that had historically managed the temple.

The court’s ruling dissolved the board and restored temple administration to the Bordeuri Samaj.