Govt removes Assistant Public Prosecutor

SHILLONG: The state government has removed an Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) who was appointed to defend a minor rape victim based on the complaint of the victim.
Earlier last week, the rape victim in a letter addressed to the Special Secretary Law L M Sangma had exposed alleged unethical practice of the lawyer who appeared for the victim as APP in her case and as also as defence counsel of the accused in a separate case.
The victim had cited conflict of interest on the part of APP, and sought the intervention of the Law department to change the APP.
The victim said that the lawyer had not protected her interest while dealing with the case in KHADC court.
The victim was also shocked to know that the same APP was the defence counsel of an accused in a rape case at Mawryngkneng when she attended as a witness related to the case in the lower court.
“I feel that it is clearly a conflict of interest and goes against the ethics of the legal fraternity and this may be the reason that the APP dealing with my case never gave me courage to have hope,” the victim had said in the letter.
Following this, the Law department has effected the reshuffle of Assistant Public Prosecutors in the state.