Himanta Sarma was the health minister in 2020 during the first BJP-led state government.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has filed a defamation case against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia over his allegations of malpractice in giving contracts for Covid Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when the former was the Health Minister in the state government. Mr Sisodia had alleged that Mr Sarma awarded a contract for PPE kits to a company linked to his wife and grossly overpaid for the gear.
Mr Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has already filed a ₹ 100 crore civil defamation case against the Delhi minister.
"Himanta Biswa Sarma awarded the contract to his wife's company. He paid ₹ 990 for the PPE kits while others were purchased at ₹ 600 a piece from another company on the same day. This is a huge crime," Mr Sisodia had said while leveling the allegations earlier this month.
Mr Sisodia had claimed he had the documents to prove so.
At the time, Mr Sarma had warned Mr Sisodia "will see you soon in Guwahati as you will face criminal defamation".
On June 1 digital media organisations - 'The Wire' and Guwahati-based 'The Crosscurrent' - had in a joint investigative report claimed that the Assam government had placed four COVID-19 related emergency medical supply orders with firms linked to Ms Sarma without following proper process.
Ms Sarma has refuted any wrongdoing in the supply of PPE kits to National Health Mission, adding that she did not take a "single penny" for them.
The Assam government and Mr Sarma have separately have denied all charges as "false, imaginary, malicious and of vested interests".
Mr Sarma was the health minister in 2020 during the first BJP-led state government.
The opposition Congress has demanded a CBI probe into the alleged corruption.
With inputs from PTI