SHILLONG: Though the Special Court headed by First Class Judicial Magistrate R Rymbai has fixed January 7 for the next hearing of the damage suit filed against pro-ILP groups, a new date will be announced soon as the court will be on recess till January 23.
Public Prosecutor IC Jha told reporters on Wednesday that since the civil court will be on a holiday on account of upcoming festivals, a new date for the next hearing will be fixed shortly.
Among the 14 pressure groups, only the CSWO represented by its president Agnes Kharshiing and general secretary E Thabah appeared before the court on Tuesday and sought more time to reply to the charges.
It was on November 7 that the special court had issued notices to the 14 pressure groups to appear before the court on December 3.
The process servers (designated messengers) of the court were entrusted with the task of delivering notices to as many as 29 top functionaries of the pressure groups in their various addresses.
Out of 29 notices served, report related to 20 notices is awaited and five notices were received by the leaders of pressure groups. Four notices returned undelivered which include those issued to KSU and AIGU leaders.
Besides two leaders of the CSWO, members of the Khasi Women Welfare and Development Association (KWWADA) also received the summons.
The State Government filed the damage suit of over Rs 31 crore to be recovered from 14 organizations for loss of property during the ILP-related agitations based on the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act and the Supreme Court order banning bandhs.
According to official sources, fresh notices will be issued to the leaders of those pressure groups who did not receive the summons.
“For those organizations which received the notices and did not turn up for the hearing, the special court will proceed with its own course of action,” sources said on Wednesday.
The sources also said that the court can attach the property of the organizations if they do not contest the case and the organizations can be de-recognized as the next step.