By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 23: State BJP vice-president and Tura MDC, Bernard N Marak has warned of legal action against those involved in inking a deal with Sumit Kumar Jain Bohra, who was allegedly appointed as a consultant to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) without proper qualifications or the mandatory Tribal Non-Tribal (TNT) certificate.
In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the GHADC Executive Committee, Marak stated: “Kindly do the needful by this week, failing which I would be compelled to take a legal step against everyone involved in signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the fake CA.”
He urged the council to revoke the MoU immediately, alleging that Bohra neither holds a chartered accountant’s degree nor the TNT required to undertake consultancy work for the tribal council.
Marak questioned the basis on which Bohra was engaged as a consultant for GST-related matters and paid Rs 1.2 crore in advance, with an overall fee assurance exceeding Rs 8 crore.
“Paying him Rs 1.2 crore as an advance payment is an unjustifiable act and totally unlawful,” he wrote, adding that the decision to engage Bohra was inconclusive, according to the meeting records of the Executive Committee.
He further pointed out that Bohra was referred to as a CA in official proceedings, prompting questions on whether his degree and credentials were ever verified. “How was the MoU signed when the Executive Committee did not finalise the decision?” Marak asked, adding that the consultant resides in his constituency but never applied to him for a TNT recommendation.
“If yes, who signed the recommendation in my place? Was it verified before engaging him as a consultant, or were his credentials checked?” Marak wrote, referencing a previous reply from the Executive Member in charge of the Taxation Department, who had stated that the MDCs are responsible only for recommending TNTs and not verifying documents.
He expressed concern that a non-tribal individual was able to secure a major consultancy role without fulfilling the basic eligibility norms, calling it a threat to the integrity of the institution.
“I humbly request you to kindly revoke the MoU with Sumit Kumar Jain Bohra for not having a TNT and faking as a charter accountant. I pray this of you to safeguard the interest of the tribal institution (GHADC) from exploitation by a non-tribal who does not own a TNT and a CA degree,” the letter read.
Marak requested an official reply within the week. Till the time of filing this report, the GHADC did not respond.