Guwahati: Former Assam Director General of Police (DGP) Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta resigned from his position as the State Chief Information Commissioner on Thursday.
According to sources, Mahanta has submitted his resignation letter to Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya.
As per reports, Mahanta’s resignation came after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reportedly advised him to step down. The advice was prompted by multiple RTI applications filed against his brother and organiser of NorthEast Festival, Shyamkanu Mahanta, in connection with issues that emerged following the death of singer Zubeen Garg.
Notably, Mahanta assumed charge as the Chief Information Commissioner in 2023 after retiring as Assam’s DGP.
As the Chief Information Commissioner, Mahanta led the commission responsible for upholding transparency and accountability in government functioning under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The body addresses citizens’ complaints, hears appeals, and ensures timely access to government information upon request.
Mahanta was a 1988 batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. He was the Director General of Assam Police from 2019 till 2023, and had previously served as the special Director General of Border & SDRF Assam.
However, the state government has not yet announced a successor to the post.
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Shyamkanu Mahanta, meanwhile, remains in judicial custody at Baksa District Jail along with Siddharth Sharma, Sandeepan Garg, and Zubeen Garg’s two personal security officers, Nandeshwar Bora and Paresh Baishya.
