Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday made public the findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged links involving Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, his wife Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, and a Pakistani national, claiming the matter posed a potential threat to India’s national security.
Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said the SIT report pointed to coordinated activities between the three individuals. He alleged that Elizabeth Gogoi had shared confidential information from India with Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, a Pakistani citizen described by the SIT as holding anti-India views.
Dr. Sarma stated that Gaurav Gogoi had spent ten days in Pakistan in December 2013 but had not publicly disclosed the purpose or details of his visit. According to him, Gogoi was granted a visa by the Government of India permitting travel only to Lahore. However, shortly after his arrival, Pakistani authorities allowed him to travel to Karachi and Islamabad as well. The Chief Minister questioned how such permissions were granted so quickly and suggested that Gogoi’s undisclosed activities during the visit raised serious concerns.
He further claimed that after entering Parliament in 2014, Gogoi raised questions related to sensitive issues, including the Indian Army’s strategy and uranium resources. “In the present circumstances, he has become a highly vulnerable political figure from a national security perspective,” the Chief Minister said, adding that Gogoi had been given ten days to clarify the purpose of his Pakistan visit.
The Chief Minister also detailed Elizabeth Gogoi’s professional association with a Pakistani NGO, LEAD Pakistan, between 2011 and 2012, where Ali Tauqeer Sheikh allegedly played a key role. She was later transferred to LEAD India in New Delhi, where she worked until 2015. Dr. Sarma alleged that her salary was transferred directly from LEAD Pakistan to LEAD India, in violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). He further claimed that Elizabeth was tasked with engaging with civil society groups and policymakers in India.
Citing intelligence inputs, the Chief Minister said Elizabeth had allegedly sent confidential reports to Ali Tauqeer Sheikh in August 2014. He also claimed that after the NDA government came to power at the Centre, she advised operating in a low-risk and low-visibility manner. According to Dr. Sarma, the head of LEAD India informed the SIT that Elizabeth functioned independently and took instructions directly from LEAD Pakistan.
Although Elizabeth left LEAD India in 2015, the Chief Minister alleged that she continues to maintain a bank account in Pakistan. He said she declined to explain the reason for retaining the account or to provide details about her husband’s stay in Pakistan when questioned by the SIT. He also claimed that she had travelled to Pakistan nine times, each time using the Atari border, and questioned the frequency of these visits.
The Chief Minister further alleged that Ali Tauqeer Sheikh had visited India 13 times during the UPA regime, often accompanied by influential Pakistani nationals. According to him, the pattern of cross-border visits and financial transactions suggested the involvement of powerful figures during the previous government to facilitate these movements.
Responding to questions on why Gaurav Gogoi was neither questioned nor arrested by the SIT, Dr. Sarma said any immediate action could be perceived as political vendetta. He added that further investigation was required beyond the SIT’s findings and announced that the case would be handed over to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for a comprehensive probe.
“The matter will now be examined by the MHA. The responsibility lies with the Centre to take the investigation forward,” the Chief Minister said.
