Showing posts with label CBI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CBI. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Please allow them to sort it out
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
CBI raids coal compaines - Wow
Thursday, April 28, 2011
CBI plays soft ball
Indian Olympic Association chief and former head of the CWG Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi has finally been arrested by the CBI for awarding Commonwealth Games contract to a Swiss company at an inflated rate of `141 crore and causing `95 crore loss to the exchequer.Kalmadi is allegedly accused of not only signing the contract as the head of the executive board of the OC, from which he was removed after the loot was widely reported in the media, but because of his pre-mediated and planned role much before the contract was awarded to Swiss Timekeeping.Kalmadi was instrumental in changing the specification for awarding the contract to the Swiss company and appointing personnel who toed his line. Kalmadi also removed officials who objected to the selection of the company on a single tender basis while ignoring MSL of Spain. For the Timing-Scoring-Result (TSR) System, MSL had quoted `45 crore but Kalmadi awarded contract to Swiss Timekeeping thus causing `95 crore loss to the exchequer. Out of this loss, `23 crore was paid for non-execution of any service.“Kalmadi was arrested for awarding the contract in a planned and pre-mediated manner to the Swiss company,” a CBI official said after formally arresting the Pune MP at 3.30 pm on Monday."Kalmadi threatened and coerced tender evaluation committee members to disqualify other bidders," the CBI said. Agency spokesperson Dharini Mishra said further investigations are on.The CBI has so far registered 10 cases in the scam related to the organisation of the event.
Five of these are against the OC, three against NDMC and one against SIS Live.More than six months after the sports extravaganza and a month after arresting two officials, the agency has finally pounced on the big cat.The same slow pace and over-cautious approach of the agency is visible in the 2G scam probe. Though the agency has named DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s daughter M Kanimozhi in the second chargesheet filed today, it has left out his wife Dayaluammal. After receiving Rs 100 crore on splitting with Sun TV, Dayaluammal along with daughter Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar formed Kalaignar TV. This television company got unsecured loan which is seen as an alleged ‘bribe’ of Rs 200 crore from Shahid Balwa’s DB Realty for getting spectrum licence. After it was discovered and reported in the media, the money was given back to Balwa’s company.The CBI says it did not make her an accused because “she does not know English”. The agency ignored the fact Dayaluammal has 60 per cent stake in Kalaignar TV and being a majority partner, she is legally responsible for all the actions that her company takes.“We did not name her as an accused because she did not know English. Even her statement was recorded with the help of a translator. She had no active role and her signatures are not on any company document,” the CBI official investigating the case said. Kanimozhi was made an accused because “she was an active stakeholder, effectively dealing with (former Telecom minister A) Raja, Radia tapes and she was pushing Kalaignar TV in Delhi,” an official said.By filing the second chargesheet, the CBI has effectively concluded the 2G scam probe except the Loop Telecom, where some senior officials have stakes in Etisalat DB Telecom Pvt Ltd (formerly Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd) and Loop Telecom through Mauritius-based companies. However, the agency would find it difficult to move against ADAG chief Anil Ambani and Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata as Swan and Unitech involved in the 2G scam are alleged fronts of both the groups respectively. CBI officials admit that was as far as it could go but left little room depending on the circumstances. “We have to move according to each layer. If a layer leads to second layer we proceed. If we find no evidence leading to third level, we cannot proceed on the basis of presumed evidence,” a senior official handling investigation said. However, the CBI may file an additional chargesheet in the Loop case. The agency is moving slowly as it getting sanction against senior officials in a phased manner, according to sources. The high and mighty involved in both the 2G scam and CWG loot are actively involved in removing evidence. “This is what they are doing. What can we do about it,” admitted a CBI official.
Five of these are against the OC, three against NDMC and one against SIS Live.More than six months after the sports extravaganza and a month after arresting two officials, the agency has finally pounced on the big cat.The same slow pace and over-cautious approach of the agency is visible in the 2G scam probe. Though the agency has named DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s daughter M Kanimozhi in the second chargesheet filed today, it has left out his wife Dayaluammal. After receiving Rs 100 crore on splitting with Sun TV, Dayaluammal along with daughter Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar formed Kalaignar TV. This television company got unsecured loan which is seen as an alleged ‘bribe’ of Rs 200 crore from Shahid Balwa’s DB Realty for getting spectrum licence. After it was discovered and reported in the media, the money was given back to Balwa’s company.The CBI says it did not make her an accused because “she does not know English”. The agency ignored the fact Dayaluammal has 60 per cent stake in Kalaignar TV and being a majority partner, she is legally responsible for all the actions that her company takes.“We did not name her as an accused because she did not know English. Even her statement was recorded with the help of a translator. She had no active role and her signatures are not on any company document,” the CBI official investigating the case said. Kanimozhi was made an accused because “she was an active stakeholder, effectively dealing with (former Telecom minister A) Raja, Radia tapes and she was pushing Kalaignar TV in Delhi,” an official said.By filing the second chargesheet, the CBI has effectively concluded the 2G scam probe except the Loop Telecom, where some senior officials have stakes in Etisalat DB Telecom Pvt Ltd (formerly Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd) and Loop Telecom through Mauritius-based companies. However, the agency would find it difficult to move against ADAG chief Anil Ambani and Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata as Swan and Unitech involved in the 2G scam are alleged fronts of both the groups respectively. CBI officials admit that was as far as it could go but left little room depending on the circumstances. “We have to move according to each layer. If a layer leads to second layer we proceed. If we find no evidence leading to third level, we cannot proceed on the basis of presumed evidence,” a senior official handling investigation said. However, the CBI may file an additional chargesheet in the Loop case. The agency is moving slowly as it getting sanction against senior officials in a phased manner, according to sources. The high and mighty involved in both the 2G scam and CWG loot are actively involved in removing evidence. “This is what they are doing. What can we do about it,” admitted a CBI official.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Corruption: A long battle
Corruption is omnipresent in the country and Anna Hazare and even thousands of his likes cannot eliminate it. At best they just can stymie it, if ever they are more than successful. But if you start believing that it will be wiped out in one go, you could be sadly mistaken. Given the rot in our life, where corruption has become part of the system, it will take ages and a long fight, a very long fight indeed, to be free of the menace.
India is perhaps one of the most corrupt countries in the world. And we don’t need Transparency International to tell us so.
From getting a driving license to space spectrum, everything is up for grabs. Money is no more given and taken under the table but it is now the ‘system’. Clerks claim bribe money as their birth right. The passport verification officer who comes to verify, rightfully demands his share of doing you a favour by coming to your house and give you good marks that would enable you to get the document to travel out of the country.
Who will fix the beat constable, local clerk or even safai karmchari who comes to seek Diwali gifts?
And then we have prime ministers, ministers, bureaucrats, judges taking huge amounts as bribes at the higher levels.
Will the Lokpal be able to stop that?
Corruption has grown in size and intensity despite the number of agencies floating around. Today, the anti-corruption and policing paraphernalia floating around in abundance is unable to eliminate corruption. India has the Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Bureau of Investigation, and several other watchdogs and policing organizations.
Each state police has an anti-corruption branch and each public organisation maintains vigilance group and department. In addition, India is burdened with Economic Intelligence Council with RAW, IB, CEIB (Central Economic Intelligence Bureau), DRI, DE, DGAE, CBEC, CBDT, customs… phew! These acronyms and abbreviations have even stopped making sense.
On top of it, the Income Tax Department maintains its own corruption wing and is scanning tax records and tapping phones. (Radia tapes are a boon because of this snooping around.) In the infamous 2G scam, the country knew the scam was happening. A newspaper was crying hoarse but the perpetrator, A Raja, was crowned telecom minister again in the UPA II. Only when the Supreme Court was critical of Raja did the shameless government wake up and asked him to go. Look at the way the 2G scam is being probed. Besides CBI, Income Tax, IB etc, it is being investigated by PAC and JPC of the Parliament. And even if Raja is nailed, is his boss who got the Rs 214 crore bribe amount even bothered that it could possibly put him in prison. The 2G spectrum loot is now an open secret.
Nevertheless the scams continue to grow. Today we are concerned with Commonwealth Games loot, Adarsh scam, money laundering, black money, Antrix scam...
Despite the plethora of agencies looking at these scams, people are still walking through the system, like in the case of Commonwealth Games. Suresh Kalmadi, Sheila Dikshit, Tajender Khanna. Manmohan Singh, no matter how innocent he may claim to be, has not owned up to the Antrix deal. The case of Singh is different. He claims to be innocent but various scams have taken under his guidance and chairmanship of leading the club. Ignoring or looking the other way or even outright inefficiency is also corruption.
The corrupt netas are still zipping around in beacon cars with impunity.
The moot question is will another anti-graft body with another fancy name, the Lokpal, be able to make the difference. It’s just not going to happen even if Lokpal Bill with tremendous powers becomes a functional authority.
What we require is ‘honest’ people not organisations and more rules and laws. It’s anyway complicated out there. What we need is better implementation of existing laws. And if it comes to that, certain modifications in a few rules will help. Like for instance, the powers of the CBI to go after administrators above the rank of joint secretaries. The agency is impotent when it comes to probing ministers and secretaries and needs nod of higher ups.
Even if the Lokpal comes into existence, from where will the people come to change the system?
The top bosses of investigating agencies will still be appointed by corrupt political leaders who become ministers. We need resilience of the people against corruption. Let us promise to ourselves that we are not going to bribe our ways through even if means waiting for licences or delayed Government clearances.
We, the people of India, need to change to stand up to corruption – at every level. Let us take a pledge today that no matter what, we are not going to pay the babus and netas. Can we stop seeking favours? Can we start waiting in long queues?
To weed out corruption, we need concerted effort. While we support Anna Hazare in getting a Lokpal, let us change ourselves.
India is perhaps one of the most corrupt countries in the world. And we don’t need Transparency International to tell us so.
From getting a driving license to space spectrum, everything is up for grabs. Money is no more given and taken under the table but it is now the ‘system’. Clerks claim bribe money as their birth right. The passport verification officer who comes to verify, rightfully demands his share of doing you a favour by coming to your house and give you good marks that would enable you to get the document to travel out of the country.
Who will fix the beat constable, local clerk or even safai karmchari who comes to seek Diwali gifts?
And then we have prime ministers, ministers, bureaucrats, judges taking huge amounts as bribes at the higher levels.
Will the Lokpal be able to stop that?
Corruption has grown in size and intensity despite the number of agencies floating around. Today, the anti-corruption and policing paraphernalia floating around in abundance is unable to eliminate corruption. India has the Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Bureau of Investigation, and several other watchdogs and policing organizations.
Each state police has an anti-corruption branch and each public organisation maintains vigilance group and department. In addition, India is burdened with Economic Intelligence Council with RAW, IB, CEIB (Central Economic Intelligence Bureau), DRI, DE, DGAE, CBEC, CBDT, customs… phew! These acronyms and abbreviations have even stopped making sense.
On top of it, the Income Tax Department maintains its own corruption wing and is scanning tax records and tapping phones. (Radia tapes are a boon because of this snooping around.) In the infamous 2G scam, the country knew the scam was happening. A newspaper was crying hoarse but the perpetrator, A Raja, was crowned telecom minister again in the UPA II. Only when the Supreme Court was critical of Raja did the shameless government wake up and asked him to go. Look at the way the 2G scam is being probed. Besides CBI, Income Tax, IB etc, it is being investigated by PAC and JPC of the Parliament. And even if Raja is nailed, is his boss who got the Rs 214 crore bribe amount even bothered that it could possibly put him in prison. The 2G spectrum loot is now an open secret.
Nevertheless the scams continue to grow. Today we are concerned with Commonwealth Games loot, Adarsh scam, money laundering, black money, Antrix scam...
Despite the plethora of agencies looking at these scams, people are still walking through the system, like in the case of Commonwealth Games. Suresh Kalmadi, Sheila Dikshit, Tajender Khanna. Manmohan Singh, no matter how innocent he may claim to be, has not owned up to the Antrix deal. The case of Singh is different. He claims to be innocent but various scams have taken under his guidance and chairmanship of leading the club. Ignoring or looking the other way or even outright inefficiency is also corruption.
The corrupt netas are still zipping around in beacon cars with impunity.
The moot question is will another anti-graft body with another fancy name, the Lokpal, be able to make the difference. It’s just not going to happen even if Lokpal Bill with tremendous powers becomes a functional authority.
What we require is ‘honest’ people not organisations and more rules and laws. It’s anyway complicated out there. What we need is better implementation of existing laws. And if it comes to that, certain modifications in a few rules will help. Like for instance, the powers of the CBI to go after administrators above the rank of joint secretaries. The agency is impotent when it comes to probing ministers and secretaries and needs nod of higher ups.
Even if the Lokpal comes into existence, from where will the people come to change the system?
The top bosses of investigating agencies will still be appointed by corrupt political leaders who become ministers. We need resilience of the people against corruption. Let us promise to ourselves that we are not going to bribe our ways through even if means waiting for licences or delayed Government clearances.
We, the people of India, need to change to stand up to corruption – at every level. Let us take a pledge today that no matter what, we are not going to pay the babus and netas. Can we stop seeking favours? Can we start waiting in long queues?
To weed out corruption, we need concerted effort. While we support Anna Hazare in getting a Lokpal, let us change ourselves.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Is ex CBI boss Ashwini Kumar involved in idol theft case?
Looking for a gubernatorial appointment after a successful stint as the Central Bureau of Investigation director, Ashwani Kumar, is likely to face a slew of allegations of shielding idol smugglers and installing a fake 350-year Kamru idol in a temple in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh.
Kumar as deputy inspector general of police of the Kinnaur range headed an investigation and tracked down three smugglers, who stole 11 idols and recovered four idols but not before the idols had been shipped to-fro to Italy. In the process, Kumar three accused off the hook.
The case pertains to a theft in 1993 in Sangla’s ancient Bodh temple Kamroo. The lock of the ancient temple were broken early morning and idols lifted by thieves. One Amarjit Singh with Dharam Lal from Delhi were staying in a hotel there. They had driven in a Maruti where they were handed over the idols by local thieves. Amarjit along with Avinderpal Singh too the idols to Delhi in the car while others headed back to Delhi by bus. The temple priests raised an alarm and a case was registered by the police.
The theft was highlighted by media and the police was under tremendous pressure to recover the idols. The police with DIG Kumar as chief of the team with SP Kinnaur in tow, recovered the idols from the security staff of the state guest house, Himachal Bhawan in New Delhi, after getting a tip off from the accused that the idols were delivered to the gate keepers of the landmark building.
Two idols were recovered from Amarjit’s shop in Jama Masjid area in addition to 11 other idols and 46 paintings. Amarjit took the police to Arun Mehra in Greater Kailash, from whom four idols were recovered.
After Kumar moved out from the DIG of the Kinnaur region, B S Thind took over the charge. When investigation reports were presented to Thind, he discovered several discrepancies in the way investigation was carried out and found a deliberate attempt on the part of the police to shield the masterminds of the case: Dharam Paul, Arvind Paul and Beli Ram Sharma. Thind said that Sharma and another accused (Ranzo Rossy) who took the idols to Italy were not arrested despite the police having obtained arrest warrant against them. Sharma reportedly was the one who called and placed the idols in Himachal Bhawan in Delhi and even wrote a letter to the police request that the matter may not be taken up. Sharma claims that upon reading in the newspaper about the idol theft, he called up Rossy and returned the idols which they he had purchased.
Angered why Kumar had favoured Sharma, Thind raised the issue with higher authorities but to no avail. However, a court order upheld Thind’s contentions. Kinnaur District Session judge Ravinder Prakash in December 2007 passed strictures against Kumar as investigating agency head. “In fact, there appears to be an attempt on part of the investigating agency to screen some of the accused who appear to be involved in the conspiracy to commit offences of theft of such invaluable idols which were not antiques but were being worshipped by the public at large from generation to generation,” Prakash said in his judgment on December 21, 2007. The three accused, Dharam Paul, Arvind Paul and Beli Ram Sharma were earlier discharged by the trial court. The session judge not only flayed the investigating agency it took to task the trial court. “There appears to be undue haste on part of the trial court to discharge such accused,” the session judge noted in the order.
Prakash even said that his order be placed before the Himachal Pradesh Home Secretary and state DGP. Incidentally, Kumar was the DGP of Himachal Pradesh, when the court passed the order. A DIG was put in-charge to verify the claims of Thind. “How could the DIG give an adverse report against the DG of police?” questions Thind.
Thind wrote to the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P K Dhumal Principal Home Secretary P C Kapoor and sought a personal meeting and explained the case but was denied any meeting. However, Kumar was then appointed as CBI director but Thind could not get the government to respond.
Having exhausted all the options, Thind has written a complaint to Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas, who is expected to take up the matter soon. Kumar, despite attempts could not be contacted.
Thind said he approached the CVC after Himachal chief minister and home secretary did not pay heed to his presentations and official submissions.
“Since 1998 I have been submitting to the government of (HP CM) Dhumal about the dubious role of Ashwini Kumar and Mardi (present HP Additional director general of police) in the investigation of the Kamru idol theft case,” Thind wrote to the CVC, a copy of which is available with the Day After. Even the court has ruled against the investigating agency officials but nothing happened, he alleged.
“Unfortunately, Ashwini Kumar was the DGP at that time and Mandi was IGP, hence no action was taken on this (court) judgment. The matter was brought to the notice of the CM by me personally in order to prevent an officer like Kumar from taking over as the CBI director, but Dhumal intentionally did not inform the government of India regarding this complaint,” Thind wrote in the letter.
Requesting the CVC to conduct a proper inquiry, Thind sought for a thorough probe to determine that the idols recovered were genuine or fake.
The HP government however had got an inquiry done in the matter but Thind says that a junior officer is unlikely to submit a report against a senior. “How could a DIG be expected to comment adversely on the conduct of a superior police officer especially the CBI director,” alleges the former additional director general of police.
Thind’s whistle blowing has been systematically suppressed by his senior, Kumar.
According to sources, the HP government moved a file against Thind. But Thind reply to the HP secretary A K Mohapatra virtually trashed the government’s move to hit out at Thind and official rivalry was never taken up.
Kamru – Paradise on Earth
The statues come from the serene region on Himachal Pradesh’s Sangla Valley. Some of the idols stolen are around 350 years old. The market value of such antique idols including Buddha idols ranges anything from Rs 10 crore to 50 crore each, according to sources.
Kamru fort stands at an altitude of 2600 m above sea level, in the beautiful Sangla Valley. The fort is set in a picturesque location and is entered through a series of gates. At the main gate of the Kamru Fort, a stunning image of Lord Buddha greets you. The graceful wooden balcony, at the top of the fort, and the idol of Kamakhya Devi (Kamakshi Dev), installed on the third floor of the fort, are worth seeing.
This idol is believed to have been brought from Guwahati. There is a Badrinath Temple in the Kamru fort, which dates back to the 15th century. This temple serves as the venue of a fair, held once in three years, in the honor of the deity. There is a procession in the fair where the idol of the deity is taken to Gangotri, the origin of River Ganges. There are a number of interesting legends attached to the fort.
Kumar as deputy inspector general of police of the Kinnaur range headed an investigation and tracked down three smugglers, who stole 11 idols and recovered four idols but not before the idols had been shipped to-fro to Italy. In the process, Kumar three accused off the hook.
The case pertains to a theft in 1993 in Sangla’s ancient Bodh temple Kamroo. The lock of the ancient temple were broken early morning and idols lifted by thieves. One Amarjit Singh with Dharam Lal from Delhi were staying in a hotel there. They had driven in a Maruti where they were handed over the idols by local thieves. Amarjit along with Avinderpal Singh too the idols to Delhi in the car while others headed back to Delhi by bus. The temple priests raised an alarm and a case was registered by the police.
The theft was highlighted by media and the police was under tremendous pressure to recover the idols. The police with DIG Kumar as chief of the team with SP Kinnaur in tow, recovered the idols from the security staff of the state guest house, Himachal Bhawan in New Delhi, after getting a tip off from the accused that the idols were delivered to the gate keepers of the landmark building.
Two idols were recovered from Amarjit’s shop in Jama Masjid area in addition to 11 other idols and 46 paintings. Amarjit took the police to Arun Mehra in Greater Kailash, from whom four idols were recovered.
After Kumar moved out from the DIG of the Kinnaur region, B S Thind took over the charge. When investigation reports were presented to Thind, he discovered several discrepancies in the way investigation was carried out and found a deliberate attempt on the part of the police to shield the masterminds of the case: Dharam Paul, Arvind Paul and Beli Ram Sharma. Thind said that Sharma and another accused (Ranzo Rossy) who took the idols to Italy were not arrested despite the police having obtained arrest warrant against them. Sharma reportedly was the one who called and placed the idols in Himachal Bhawan in Delhi and even wrote a letter to the police request that the matter may not be taken up. Sharma claims that upon reading in the newspaper about the idol theft, he called up Rossy and returned the idols which they he had purchased.
Angered why Kumar had favoured Sharma, Thind raised the issue with higher authorities but to no avail. However, a court order upheld Thind’s contentions. Kinnaur District Session judge Ravinder Prakash in December 2007 passed strictures against Kumar as investigating agency head. “In fact, there appears to be an attempt on part of the investigating agency to screen some of the accused who appear to be involved in the conspiracy to commit offences of theft of such invaluable idols which were not antiques but were being worshipped by the public at large from generation to generation,” Prakash said in his judgment on December 21, 2007. The three accused, Dharam Paul, Arvind Paul and Beli Ram Sharma were earlier discharged by the trial court. The session judge not only flayed the investigating agency it took to task the trial court. “There appears to be undue haste on part of the trial court to discharge such accused,” the session judge noted in the order.
Prakash even said that his order be placed before the Himachal Pradesh Home Secretary and state DGP. Incidentally, Kumar was the DGP of Himachal Pradesh, when the court passed the order. A DIG was put in-charge to verify the claims of Thind. “How could the DIG give an adverse report against the DG of police?” questions Thind.
Thind wrote to the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P K Dhumal Principal Home Secretary P C Kapoor and sought a personal meeting and explained the case but was denied any meeting. However, Kumar was then appointed as CBI director but Thind could not get the government to respond.
Having exhausted all the options, Thind has written a complaint to Central Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas, who is expected to take up the matter soon. Kumar, despite attempts could not be contacted.
Thind said he approached the CVC after Himachal chief minister and home secretary did not pay heed to his presentations and official submissions.
“Since 1998 I have been submitting to the government of (HP CM) Dhumal about the dubious role of Ashwini Kumar and Mardi (present HP Additional director general of police) in the investigation of the Kamru idol theft case,” Thind wrote to the CVC, a copy of which is available with the Day After. Even the court has ruled against the investigating agency officials but nothing happened, he alleged.
“Unfortunately, Ashwini Kumar was the DGP at that time and Mandi was IGP, hence no action was taken on this (court) judgment. The matter was brought to the notice of the CM by me personally in order to prevent an officer like Kumar from taking over as the CBI director, but Dhumal intentionally did not inform the government of India regarding this complaint,” Thind wrote in the letter.
Requesting the CVC to conduct a proper inquiry, Thind sought for a thorough probe to determine that the idols recovered were genuine or fake.
The HP government however had got an inquiry done in the matter but Thind says that a junior officer is unlikely to submit a report against a senior. “How could a DIG be expected to comment adversely on the conduct of a superior police officer especially the CBI director,” alleges the former additional director general of police.
Thind’s whistle blowing has been systematically suppressed by his senior, Kumar.
According to sources, the HP government moved a file against Thind. But Thind reply to the HP secretary A K Mohapatra virtually trashed the government’s move to hit out at Thind and official rivalry was never taken up.
Kamru – Paradise on Earth
The statues come from the serene region on Himachal Pradesh’s Sangla Valley. Some of the idols stolen are around 350 years old. The market value of such antique idols including Buddha idols ranges anything from Rs 10 crore to 50 crore each, according to sources.
Kamru fort stands at an altitude of 2600 m above sea level, in the beautiful Sangla Valley. The fort is set in a picturesque location and is entered through a series of gates. At the main gate of the Kamru Fort, a stunning image of Lord Buddha greets you. The graceful wooden balcony, at the top of the fort, and the idol of Kamakhya Devi (Kamakshi Dev), installed on the third floor of the fort, are worth seeing.
This idol is believed to have been brought from Guwahati. There is a Badrinath Temple in the Kamru fort, which dates back to the 15th century. This temple serves as the venue of a fair, held once in three years, in the honor of the deity. There is a procession in the fair where the idol of the deity is taken to Gangotri, the origin of River Ganges. There are a number of interesting legends attached to the fort.
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