Assam Minister Fires PA, Orders Probe into Rs. 7 Crore Fake Work Order Scam

Among the victims were a Noida-based company and a Bengaluru-based firm both of which were deceived through fake work orders.

Assam Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan has ordered a departmental investigation into a high-profile scam involving fake work orders amounting to over Rs 7 crore. The scam, which defrauded multiple companies, has led to the arrest of several individuals, including Ashim Kumar Das, secretary of the BJP’s SC Morcha.

Monmoth Das, the minister’s personal assistant(PA), has been sacked after allegedly facilitating the fraudsters’ access to the Janata Bhavan (Assam Secretariat) by issuing entry passes under pressure from Ashim Kumar Das, one of the accused.

The fraudsters, posing as government officials, orchestrated meetings at the Secretariat and the Minister’s Colony in Dispur, targeting companies seeking government contracts. Among the victims were a Noida-based company, Prontastic IT Pvt. Ltd., and a Bengaluru-based firm, Manpho Exports, both of which were deceived through fake work orders.

Earlier, the Guwahati Police, led by Commissioner Diganta Barah, arrested three individuals in connection with the scam Ashim Kumar Das, Birinchi Barkataki, a retired publicity officer, and Niranjan Das, a broker who arranged the fraudulent meetings. Another accomplice, Deba Prakash Bhagawati, was previously arrested by the CID in a related case.

The gang reportedly swindled Prontastic IT Pvt. Ltd. of ₹4 crore by issuing a fraudulent work order for supplying 75,000 bed sheets and pillow covers for BPL families under the “Adivasi Welfare and Development Council.” Similarly, Manpho Exports was duped through a fake order worth ₹3.77 crore for supplying goods to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.

According to Commissioner Barah, the fraudsters lured victims with promises of lucrative government contracts that bypassed formal tender processes, convincing them of high profit margins. In the case of Prontastic IT, the initial work order presented was for a massive ₹250 crore, with the victims persuaded to begin by supplying bed sheets and pillow covers.

The scam involved elaborate setups, with victims being taken to the Secretariat and the Minister’s Colony in luxury vehicles to meet fake officials. One of the arrested individuals, Birinchi Barkataki, posed as B.N. Sarma, Joint Secretary of the “Adivasi Welfare and Development Council.”

Police have seized fake documents, including the fraudulent work orders, and are scrutinizing bank transactions between the complainants and the accused. Commissioner Barah indicated that further revelations are expected as the investigation continues.

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