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Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said the matter has been referred to the ministry of home affairs, seeking a high-level probe by central agencies
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma (L) said it is his duty to inform the country about the Pakistani links of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi (R) and his wife. (Image: PTI/File)
Referring the matter to the ministry of home affairs after a special investigation team submitted its report to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the state cabinet has sought a high-level probe by central agencies into the alleged Pakistani links of Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and his wife.
On Sunday, Sarma held a press conference on the report by a special investigation team and alleged that “one person from Assam has Pakistan connection and “it is his duty to inform the country” about this.
According to him, this is a “very sensitive” nexus between Gaurav Gogoi, his wife Eizabeth Colburn Gogoi, and Pakistani interests. He said the SIT looked into into allegations of unauthorised diplomatic engagements and potential breaches of national security.
“One person from Assam has Pakistan connection, it is my duty to tell the country about it. I was in Singapore when I discovered this photograph that our Assam MP went to Pakistani embassy with the youth…not a single neta (politician) from the Congress till date went with a delegation to Pakistan embassy like Gogoi. I am critical of the Congress, but nobody can match this level of Pakistani engagement. People, including from the Congress are very curious about this photo; that is when we opened the case. Following this, Ambassador Basit visited Assam. We also…found Gaurav’s wife Elizabeth’s Pakistani employment from 2011 to 2012,” Sarma told the reporters.
Gaurav Gogoi, who is also the deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, dismissed the allegations, calling Sarma’s press conference “the most flop…of the century” and “worse than a C grade cinema”.
“I pity the journalists from Delhi and Assam who had to suffer the most flop press conference of the century. This was worse than a C grade cinema. Most mindless and bogus points offered by the so called political shrewd Chief Minister. This #SuperFlop is in contrast to our #XomoyParivartanYatra which has been a hit in uncovering the 12,000 bighas of land occupied by the Chief Minister and his family members,” Gogoi wrote in a post on X.
I pity the journalists from Delhi and Assam who had to suffer the most flop press conference of the century. This was worse than a C grade cinema. Most mindless and bogus points offered by the so called political shrewd Chief Minister. This #SuperFlop is in contrast to our…— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) February 8, 2026
UNAUTHORISED ENGAGEMENTS, ‘SECRET VISITS’
Sarma alleged that Gogoi, who is the deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, engaged in high-level Pakistani interactions that remain unprecedented for any Congress leader.
He raised concerns regarding a trip Gogoi allegedly made to Pakistan during the tenure of his father, the late Tarun Gogoi, as chief minister of Assam. He characterised this visit as “very sensitive”, alleging that neither the Assam police, Assam special branch, nor the Centre were informed about it, effectively bypassing standard security protocols.
ELIZABETH COLBURN GOGOI’S ‘TIES’
The SIT reportedly flagged certain financial and professional irregularities linked to Gogoi’s wife, Elizabeth Colebourn Gogoi.
Sarma alleged that “lifting the veil” on the connection revealed Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi’s employment in Pakistan between 2011 and 2012. She worked under the direction of known Pakistani agent Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, he said.
Here are some of the allegations against Elizabeth:
- Foreign funding: Alleged connections to George Soros through Senator Tom Udall.
- FCRA violations: Concerns have been raised over her receiving a salary significantly higher than her reporting manager at ‘LEAD India’, suggesting she was a major beneficiary of Pakistani FCRA funds.
- Financial non-disclosure: She failed to disclose details of a Pakistani bank account.
- Pre-arranged employment: Pre-arranged contract with ‘LEAD India’ before she officially joined the organisation.
WHAT DOES THE SIT REPORT SAY?
The SIT findings involve potential threats to national sovereignty with Elizabeth accused of reporting directly to Pakistan with minimal oversight from ‘LEAD India’.
It alleges that in 2014, she shared a confidential report with Pakistan that included references to secret Intelligence Bureau (IB) communications. She is accused of promoting a “low risk, low visibility” strategy for Pakistani actors operating within India. This reportedly recommended bypassing the central government by focusing on state-level engagements, specifically exploiting political tensions between the Centre and various states.
The Assam government said following the SIT report, the cabinet has decided the matter requires the intervention of a central agency to address the broader implications for national security and sovereignty raised by the alleged unauthorised visits and the sharing of sensitive information.
Guwahati [Gauhati], India, India
February 08, 2026, 13:02 IST
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