Education scam
SHILLONG: Police are moving in slow pace in response to the FIRs and letters lodged against those involved in the education scam as the current status is that police are still seeking the seized documents related to the scam from the CBI.
After the hearing held on June 19 last, the Chief Judicial Magistrate B Joshi had directed CBI to hand over the relevant papers to the state police after making an inventory and acknowledgment receipt of the same.
Earlier, N Thohrem, the Investigation Officer (IO) had sought the direction of the Court for the CBI to hand over the documents pertaining to the recruitment of assistant teachers for lower primary schools seized by the CBI.
The FIRs to initiate action against those involved was earlier filed by Sharaidalyne Wahlang, an affected aspirant for the job and CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing more than 3 years ago.
It was first Kharshiing who filed the FIR on February 12, 2010 before the SP East Khasi Hills seeking investigation on the case.
She later through a letter on February 19, sought the intervention of the Chief Secretary into the matter saying that the education scam was allegedly under the patronage of former Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh.
On February 26, Kharshiing sent another letter to the DGP by complaining that the case was not registered even after the FIR was lodged.
Again in July 14, 2010, Kharshiing sent a letter to the then East Khasi Hills SP AR Mawthoh to inquire about the case and in his reply on July 15, he had mentioned that inquiry was conducted and ascertained that prima facie, there was no evidence of forgery.
Kharshiing, quoting the reply of Mawthoh further said that the police officer commented that since the alleged manipulation of marks is an administrative matter, police cannot register a case.
Unhappy over the state of affairs, Kharshiing filed an FIR before the SP East Khasi Hills on July 13, 2011 seeking further probe.
In July same year, one of the job aspirants, Sharaidalyne Wahlang whose score sheet was tampered, filed an FIR with Laitumkhrah police station against the Director of Elementary and Mass Education alleging manipulation of her marks during announcement of the results of interview for the post of assistant lower primary teacher.
In the FIR field at Laitumkhrah police station, Wahlang had said that her marks on “experience” have been erased from the compilation sheet. As per the complaint, she had submitted a certificate of five years of experience while applying for the post in 2009, result of which was declared in December, the same year. The criteria for section for the post was on the basis of written test or personal test besides teaching experience.
With the dilly dally on the part of the police continued, Kharshiing along with Angela Rangad in November 2012 jointly field an FIR at Laitumkhrah police station to probe the matter.
Later, Kharshiing also wrote to the Chief Judicial Magistrate regarding the matter and subsequently, the Court ordered the police to register a case.
It was in April, 2013 that the police questioned JD Sangma the then Director of Mass Elementary Education following which the probe was in limbo.
Only in June this year that the police again started the investigation with a plea before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate to get the seized documents related to the case from CBI after the lapse of several years.