SHILLONG: The State Police on Friday shifted the blame on the High Court of Meghalaya for the delay in action on the FIR lodged by the CSWO against Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh for allegedly tampering with the score sheets of eligible candidates for appointment of assistant teachers in the Government Lower Primary Schools in 2009-2010.
“We had submitted a request to the Court last year asking the Court to provide the original documents related to the score sheet of the eligible candidates. We are yet to receive any response from the Court,” a senior police official said on Friday, while adding that the original documents were meant to be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination.
The senior police official maintained that it would be wrong to say that the police have been sitting idle on the FIR filed by the CSWO against Lyngdoh, who was the then Education Minister.
“We would like to obtain the FSL report before proceeding with the investigation,” he said.
The Opposition UDP had on Thursday questioned the police inaction on the FIR lodged by CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing.
The FIR lodged with Laitumkhrah police station on November 7, 2012, stated that the CBI report has clearly mentioned that ‘former Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh had instructed the then Director of Elementary and Mass Education JD Sangma and two of her supporters to tamper, forge the score sheets by applying white fluid wherever there is a need to increase or deduct the marks of the candidates.”
Congress defends Ampareen
Despite facing criticism from all quarters, the State Congress on Friday put up a brave face and defended the Government and Cabinet Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, saying that “if evidence was there the High Command could have intervened”.
The Opposition UDP on Thursday had demanded Lyngdoh’s resignation for her role in the tampering of score sheets of eligible candidates for appointment in LP schools in the State.
Asked whether Lyngdoh should step down owning moral responsibility for the mess in the Education department, MPCC president DD Lapang said,” She (Ampareen) may be thinking that the documents available do not implicate her.”
According to Lapang, the Government is trying to correct the anomalies by taking note of the report of the High Level Scrutiny Committee.
“Stepping down is a big penalty. If evidence was there, the party High Command could have intervened,” Lapang said.