Senior ACS Officer Arrested in Assam Bribery Case; Assets Worth ₹1.3 Crore Seized
Anti-corruption officials recovered cash, gold, bank deposits and property documents after arresting senior ACS officer Lachit Kumar Das in an alleged bribery case.
GUWAHATI- The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, has seized assets worth more than ₹1.3 crore following the arrest of senior Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer Lachit Kumar Das in an alleged bribery case.
Officials said a marathon search operation lasting nearly 12 hours was conducted at Das’s residence in Beltola, Guwahati, after his arrest on May 21. During the raid, investigators reportedly recovered large amounts of cash, gold jewellery, bank deposits and property-related documents suspected to be disproportionate to his known sources of income.
According to vigilance officials, cash amounting to ₹48.38 lakh was recovered from a locker inside the residence. Around 500 grams of gold jewellery were also seized during the operation.
Investigators further identified more than ₹80 lakh deposited across nine bank accounts registered in the names of Das and his family members. Authorities also recovered documents related to land and property allegedly registered under proxy or benami names.
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Officials confirmed that a separate case under the Prevention of Corruption Act is being initiated against the officer for alleged possession of disproportionate assets.
The arrest followed a trap operation conducted by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption inside Das’s office chamber at the Directorate of Land Records in Rupnagar, Guwahati.
According to official sources, Das had allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹1 lakh from a complainant in exchange for issuing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) required for land sale permission. After the complainant approached the vigilance department, officials laid a trap and allegedly caught Das red-handed while accepting an advance payment of ₹45,000.
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The tainted money was reportedly recovered immediately in the presence of independent witnesses.
Lachit Kumar Das has previously held several senior administrative positions in Assam, including serving as Deputy Commissioner of Lakhimpur district and as Additional Deputy Commissioner in Hojai and Barpeta districts.
The case has generated significant public attention and reactions on social media, with many users expressing concerns over alleged corruption within land revenue and administrative offices. Several citizens and anti-corruption activists have called for broader investigations into similar practices within the state bureaucracy.
At the same time, many social media users praised the complainant for reporting the alleged demand for bribery and welcomed the vigilance department’s action against corruption.
Authorities said further investigation is underway to examine the officer’s financial records, assets and possible links to additional undisclosed properties or transactions.
