Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma disclosed that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) inquiry has uncovered serious allegations against Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, the British spouse of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi. The investigation focuses on her past employment in Pakistan and suspected foreign fund transfers that may have breached India’s Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). Sarma highlighted that Elizabeth Gogoi was associated with LEAD Pakistan, a climate-change nonprofit led by Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, during her time in Islamabad. She was reportedly engaged in international climate projects connecting India and Pakistan, including collaborations within the global Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN).
The SIT findings revealed that Elizabeth Gogoi operated a clandestine employment arrangement: initially employed by a Pakistani NGO in Islamabad, her work was later shifted to India. Sarma mentioned that a firm based in Pakistan hired her and subsequently relocated her to India, with her salary allegedly funded by Sheikh. The SIT report indicated that these overseas payments were channeled through Indian bank accounts, potentially violating the FCRA. This led to the establishment of “LEAD India” in New Delhi, serving as a channel for foreign funds, circumventing FCRA regulations.
Furthermore, CM Sarma accused Elizabeth Gogoi of transmitting confidential government information to her Pakistani contact. Allegedly, during her tenure in Pakistan, she shared an internal Assam government report, containing classified material, with Sheikh. If proven true, this act could contravene India’s Official Secrets Act. The Assam government has refrained from releasing the full SIT report, citing the sensitive nature of these allegations.
In a press briefing, CM Sarma questioned Elizabeth Gogoi’s status as a foreign national while participating in Indian electoral processes and raised concerns about her failure to disclose her ties to Pakistan to authorities. Emphasizing that these revelations pertain to national security rather than politics, Sarma announced that the Assam Cabinet has forwarded the SIT dossier on the Congress MP and his wife to the Union Home Ministry, urging central agencies to spearhead further investigations.
