Panel of three to probe Eco Camp ‘land grab’ suicide

Guwahati: The state government late on Thursday night constituted a three-member inquiry committee to probe if the allegation of land grab in the suicide of entrepreneur George Bordoloi against Assam Don Bosco University under the Sonapur revenue circle is true.
The committee, headed by additional chief secretary Paban Barthakur, has been formed in view of the suicide of entrepreneur George Bordoloi and the allegations he brought in the purported suicide note against the university vice principal Father Stephen Mavely, 72.
The committee, which has revenue department commissioner and secretary GD Tripathy and Kamrup (Metro) deputy commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha as members, will suggest means to recover the land if the allegations are found to be true during the investigation.
Bordoloi, the proprietor of the George’s Retreat Eco Camp at Sonapur, committed suicide on the camp premises at Hatimura in the city on Monday.
In the note he had left, he held Mavely “responsible for blocking most of the elephant corridors by constructing buildings in their habitat which compels elephants to visit villages and destroy crops”.
It is being alleged that the university has encroached upon 800 bighas of land, mostly falling under the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary. The state forest department had recently conducted a survey by using drones.
The images and videos taken by the drones revealed that the university had extended its boundary much beyond what was allotted to it.
Mavely was arrested by the police on Tuesday based on an FIR lodged by George’s son Patrick, who had alleged that his father committed suicide on Monday leaving a purported suicide note where the deceased held the Father responsible for abetting his suicide.
The Gauhati High Court on Thursday granted bail to Mavely, who was remanded to two-day police custody by a lower court on Wednesday, after observing that “there is nothing on record, till now, regarding any blemish on his part”.
The court took note of the petitioner’s senior citizen status and standing as vice chancellor of a university while granting bail and stated that the same “may not absolve him from any criminal liability”.