SHILLONG: In an obvious scam, the appointment of senior police official AK Mathur as DG (SB/CID) just for eight days was found to have been made backdated on April 23 this year when the State bureaucrats were still moving the file related to the appointment for the approval of the Chief Minister and the Home Minister in early part of May.
Moreover, the appointment was made without the approval of the Centre as per the Indian Service Act.
Though Mathur, who was serving as Additional DG in charge North East Police Academy, was appointed on April 23 as DG (SB/CID), he retired eight days later on April 30, which is a clear indication that the intention of creating the post of Director General Police (SB/CID), was to enable the official to retire by availing the pension at the rank equivalent to DG Police (Home).
A reply to an RTI application on Mathur’s appointment revealed that the bureaucrats were in a haste to create the new post and they hurriedly approved the appointment at a time when the Chief Minister and Home Minister were not in station.
The reply to RTI application filed by Agnes Kharshiing revealed that Mathur was already appointed on April 23 when the Joint Secretary was still discussing means to obtain approval of the Home Minister ex-post facto (retrospective action).
The note of the Joint Secretary, dated May 8, says, “We may perhaps obtain post ex-post facto approval of Home Minister”.
The bureaucrats approved the appointment “in anticipation of approval of the Chief Minister and Home Minister”.
The official was repatriated from Central deputation only to be appointed to the temporary post of DG (SB/CID) under the State Home department at the scale of pay of HAG plus (Rs. 80,000).