• CM says CBI investigating Delhi airport cash catch
• Target of the search was FOCUS Nagaland office
Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 9
As the corridors of power went mute in Nagaland following a search by the CBI in an office at the Civil Secretariat in Kohima on February 8, more details emerged, on February 9. The search occurred at the Fostering Climate Resilient Upland Farming Systems (FOCUS) office, Nagaland, which functions from the state Agriculture Production Commissioner’s office at the Civil Secretariat. FOCUS is a project of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The search was connected to an investigation about a cash catch at the Delhi airport tracing back to December 2023. As per information collated from multiple different sources, the cash catch occurred on December 17, 2023. It could not be ascertained whether it was during routine security check or a tip off, unexplained cash amounting to approximately Rs 70-72 lakhs were recovered from the possession of three government officials from Nagaland working under the FOCUS project. The officials included the FOCUS, Nagaland Project Director and two subordinates.
The February 8 search by the CBI at the FOCUS, Nagaland office was linked to the December cash catch. Sources disclosed that the CBI team began the search around 9:00 am after sealing the entrance door to the APC’s office. It turned out that this door served as a common entrance way for not only the APC and FOCUS office but also for the administrative branches of the Horticulture and Agriculture Departments. Per the sources, none of the said office branches could work for the day as the search went on till late into the afternoon.
The Home Department remained guarded despite repeated attempts to get comment on the matter. It was Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, who was finally compelled to respond to queries from the media about the CBI search, on the sidelines of a literary event in Chümoukedima on February 9. The CM said that officials of the Agriculture Department were caught carrying cash at the Delhi airport. He did not go into details only stating that the case was handed over to the CBI and “so they have come to investigate.”
A disclaimer from the state Agriculture Department however contradicted the CM’s statement. The Directorate of Agriculture issued a “corrigendum” to The Morung Express, on February 9, stating what it said was clarifying “the factual position to the allegations made against the Department and its officials…” Contrary to what was reported, it said that the search did not occur at the Department of Agriculture’s Directorate and Administrative office. It added, “The two officials implicated in the said case are not from the Department of Agriculture.” It did not provide any further details, if any.
The two unnamed FOCUS officials, originally drawn from the Departments of Forest and Animal Husbandry, were placed under suspension, while the official status of the Project Director could not be ascertained.
The Department of Agriculture is the nodal agency for the FOCUS, Nagaland project.
