Guwahati: The general manager (health, safety and environment) of Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), Diganta Changmai was arrested from his office in Numaligarh in connection with an espionage case for allegedly disclosing sensitive information (classified) to a private oil company.
“Based on confidential information, a team of police from Golaghat and Numaligarh police stations picked up Diganta Changmai from his office at NRL yesterday. He was arrested after a five-hour-long interrogation. His laptop was also seized for cross-examination,” said a senior police official of Golaghat district.
He was charged with case No 368/23 under section 468/450 of IPC read with section 66 of the Information Technology Act for dishonestly or fraudulently accessing computer resources without the permission of its authority.
After a formal health check-up, Changmai was produced before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Golaghat, who remanded him to two-day police custody for further investigation.
He is now under the custody of the Crime Branch of Golaghat police.
“A raid was also conducted at the residence of Changmai at NRL complex,” the official said.
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Changmai, who was also the president of the NRL Officers’ Association, admitted to the crime and named three journalists and an office bearer of an organization.
He also named a few NRL officials who helped him gather the official sensitive documents.
It has been alleged that Changmai had opened various fake IDs to leak official documents to a handful of local reporters to publish stories in newspapers.
He had also allegedly filed various complaints to various sections of the oil refinery from various fake IDs.
Earlier, one Keshabananda Bora lodged an FIR with Golaghat police station, following which the police registered a case against him vide No 180/2023 in June this year.
Meanwhile, the Bokakhat District Committee of Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chantra Parishad (AJYCP) demanded immediate suspension of Diganta Changmai considering the seriousness of the offence he committed.
In a letter to NRL managing director, AJYCP unit president Nilutpal Khound and general secretary Pranjal Bharali said, “Diganta Changmai, who leaked sensitive official information to outside party, dishonoured the martyrs of Assam Agitation. He should be suspended from his post immediately.”
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