SIT points to cross-border employment ties, foreign funding flows and repeated Pakistan travel under LEAD network
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has raised concerns over alleged professional and financial links between Elizabeth Colebourn Gogoi and Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, describing the matter as one involving national security rather than routine political debate.
Citing findings of the state’s Special Investigation Team, the Chief Minister said Elizabeth was associated with organisations connected to Sheikh, including LEAD Pakistan and its Indian affiliate. Investigators claim that although she later worked from India, her reporting structure and remuneration remained tied to the Pakistan-based office headed by Sheikh.
According to the probe, funds were routed from Pakistan through Indian NGO channels, with authorities examining whether such transfers bypassed Foreign Contribution Regulation Act safeguards. Officials noted that her salary was significantly higher than others within the Indian unit, raising questions about the source and oversight of payments.
The SIT has also highlighted multiple visits to Pakistan during and after her professional engagement with LEAD-linked entities. Several of these trips were allegedly undertaken through the Attari land route. Investigators are reviewing whether the travel was formally declared and whether it aligned with official assignments.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister said the continued supervisory and financial control from across the border suggested an unusual arrangement that warranted deeper scrutiny. He maintained that cross-border funding patterns and organisational ties involving a Pakistani national cannot be treated lightly.
Calling the issue “sensitive and serious,” the Chief Minister said its international dimensions go beyond the capacity of a state-level inquiry and may require examination by central agencies.
At present, the findings remain part of an ongoing investigation, and no formal conclusions have been reached.
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