SHILLONG: Almost two years into the direction of a lower court, the East Khasi Hills police are yet to approach the High Court to get the original CBI papers on education scam to carry forward the criminal investigation.
The CBI which probed the anomalies based on the direction of the erstwhile Shillong Bench of the Gauhati High Court found out that several candidates who aspired to become teachers were deprived of jobs following tampering of their mark sheets. The appointment of assistant teachers was for the year in 2009-10.
It was on March 5, 2012 that the CBI submitted the report to the High Court.
Later, several FIRs were field with the East Khasi Hills police seeking action through criminal investigation against those involved in the scam.
After the police registered the case, only the then Director of Mass and Elementary Education (DEME) J.D. Sangma was quizzed in April 2013.
A police source said on Wednesday that his department had insisted on getting the original papers including score sheets seized by CBI to carry forward the investigation.
The 107-page CBI report said, “It was felt necessary to examine J.D. Sangma, the then Director DEME. In course of his examination by the CBI, Sangma has stated that under the instruction of the then Minister of Education – 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”.
JD Sangma also handed over a file containing the list received by the Minister from different persons/ MLAs/ Ministers recommending the names of their own candidates for selection as teacher in LP schools in Meghalaya.
As part of investigation after the lower court was approached by the police to get necessary papers from the CBI , the then Chief Judicial Magistrate had ordered the CBI to hand over the original documents to the police.
However, the stand of the CBI was that since the inquiry was ordered by the High Court, the direction to hand over the papers to the police should come from the High Court.
Later in July 2014, the lower court had directed police to approach the High Court for getting the documents including original score sheets seized by the CBI.
A lawyer dealing with the case said on Wednesday that the police are yet to approach the High Court to get the papers which delayed the completion of the criminal investigation.
