Guwahati, May 22: An overnight search at the residence of arrested Assam Civil Service officer Lachit Kumar Das led to the recovery of ₹48.38 lakh in cash, fixed deposit certificates worth ₹80 lakh and several financial and property-related documents, the Assam Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (V&AC) said on May 22.
Das, serving as Additional Director of Land Records at Rupnagar in Guwahati, was arrested on May 21 after allegedly being caught accepting ₹45,000, which officials said was part of an alleged ₹1 lakh bribe demand linked to issuing a no-objection certificate for land sale permission.
According to the vigilance agency, the complainant approached anti-corruption authorities after refusing to pay the alleged amount demanded. Acting on the complaint, officials conducted a trap operation at the Directorate of Land Records office in Rupnagar.
Authorities alleged that Das was caught inside his office chamber immediately after accepting the money. The tainted cash was recovered and seized in the presence of independent witnesses, officials said.
Following the arrest, vigilance personnel conducted a search at his residence in Rani Bagan near Beltola Tiniali in Guwahati, which continued until around 1.30 am on May 22.
During the operation, officials reportedly recovered ₹48.38 lakh in cash from a locker at the residence. Investigators also seized fixed deposit certificates amounting to ₹80 lakh in the names of Das and his family members.
Apart from the cash and fixed deposits, officials said the search yielded several life insurance and postal life insurance documents, records linked to multiple bank accounts and documents related to landed properties.
Authorities said scrutiny of the recovered financial records and property documents is currently in progress as investigators continue to examine the extent of the assets and related transactions.
A case has been registered at the Anti-Corruption Branch Police Station under Section 7(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.
