NEW DELHI: The Meghalaya Government has around 70 days’ time to submit its reply to the Supreme Court notice served on it and others on the issue of the Scheduled Tribe status of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.
“Issue notice returnable on 21.7.2014,” the order issued by the apex court said. In the second part of the order the court stayed the proceedings of the State Level Scrutiny Committee constituted by the State Government to probe the matter.
“In the meanwhile, further proceedings before the State Level Scrutiny Committee shall remain stayed,” the order said. A copy of the order was made available to The Shillong Times on Saturday.
Besides the Meghalaya Government, other recipients of the notice are the Union Government, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, the Election Commission of India, the Scrutiny Committee, Sangma himself besides his minister brother Zenith and sister Tripti Rani.
The apex court on January 20 this year had requested the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to verify and dispose of the case related to the ST status of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on merit and in accordance with the law within eight weeks.
The bench was hearing a PIL filed by All Northeast Indigenous Garo Law Promoters’ Association and one Tennydard M Marak seeking its direction to hold inquiry into the ST status of Mukul Sangma and cancellation of the certificate issued to him on June 23, 1982.
The apex court combined both the petitions and took them for hearing on Friday.