Education scam investigation in limbo
SHILLONG: The much talked about probe into the sensational education scam has met with a stumbling block, unbelievably because of CBI’s strange non-cooperation.
The country’s top criminal investigation body, CBI has not parted with all seized documents ignoring a lower court direction some six months ago.
Failure to obtain these incriminating papers from CBI has brought to a halt the entire exercise of State police to complete the investigation and interrogation of the persons named by CBI in its damning report on the high level collusion in appointing teachers in a fraudulent manner.
It may be mentioned that on June 19 this year after a hearing, the then Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) B. Joshi had directed the CBI to hand over the relevant papers to the state police after making an inventory and acknowledgment receipt of the same.
It was after the dilly dally on the part of the police to act on the pending FIRs against all named in the Education scam including the then Education Minister Ampreen Lyngdoh as unearthed by the CBI that the CSWO President Agnes Kharshiing wrote to the CJM regarding the matter and subsequently, the Court ordered the police to register a case. In April, 2013, other than police questioning J.D. Sangma, the then Director of Mass and Elementary Education, no further probe was carried out.
A year after, in June this year, the police wanted to carry out further investigation and hence a request was made before the Court of CJM to get the seized documents on the education scam from CBI.
SP (City) Vivek Syiem confirmed on Monday that the police are yet to get the documents from CBI.
However it is yet to be known why the CBI has not handed over the seized documents.
There was sharp criticism from opposition parties that while there was activism garbage in the forest alongside the road but they cannoon the part of the police to charge sheet Cabinet Minister Deborah for her alleged links with the GNLA militants, there was inexplicable inertia on the part of the police to take the probe to its logical conclusion.
The CBI in its 107-page report had said, “It was felt necessary to examine JD Sangma , the then Director DEME.”
In course of his examination Sangma has stated that under the instruction of then minister of education namely Ampareen Lyngdoh, he had to change the score sheets as prepared by all the five boards duly applying white fluid on the original marks, as awarded by the members of the Board. Sangma also handed over a file containing the list received by the said minister from different persons/ MLAs/ Ministers recommending the names of the candidates for selection as teacher in LP schools of Meghalaya.”
The case diary
l12.2.2010: -FIR filed against the office of the directorate of Elementary and Mass Education under the patronage of the then Minister, Education by President CSWO Agnes Kharshiing mentioning forgery and manipulation of marks.
l19.2.2010: Letter to Chief Secretary to intervene in the FIR filed against the office of the directorate of Elementary and Mass Education under the patronage of the then Minister, Education.
l26.2.2010: Letter to DGP Meghalaya for not registering the case by the East Khasi Hills Police, where an FIR has been lodged for forgery and manipulations of marks.
l14.7.2010: Letter to the SP EKH , enquiring into the FIR filed on 12.2.2010.
l15.7.2010: Letter to Complainant Kharshiing on the FIR by police saying an enquiry was conducted and there was no prima facie evidence of forgery and the issue appears to be the alleged manipulation of marks which is an administrative matter, and the CJM vide order dated 19.3.2010 accepted the prayer, on the report for no registration of the case.
l13.7.2011: Another FIR filed by Kharshiing, and E. Thabah, General Secretary, CSWO before the SP EKH, on the cheating and tampering of score sheets, where more evidence was added as 3 sets of score sheets were tampered.
lJuly 2011: A teacher files the FIR in Laitumkhrah PS registered as Laitumkhrah PS Case No 62(7)2011 u/s 408 IPC. .
l7.11.2012: FIR again filed by social activist Angela Rangad and Kharshiing to take cognizance of the CBI report and more sections were added to the Laitumkhrah PS Case No 62(7)2011 u/s 408 IPC. The sections added were 120B/167/466/34 IPC and no summon has been issued to the alleged accused even with strong evidence, including the evidence of the CBI report.
l19.6.2014: Court of CJM orders CBI to hand over seized documents to police.