SHILLONG: Police laxity was the reason for the delay in pursuing the criminal aspect of the education scam though an FIR was lodged way back in 2011, it was revealed during the hearing on Thursday.
The summary of proceedings in the case diary related to the FIR in the criminal case lodged at Laitumkhrah police station was taken up by the High Court of Meghalaya.
The Division Bench of the court said it is not making any other comments in the matter but according to the record, concrete progress in the investigation has not taken place allegedly because the necessary documents were in the possession of the CBI.
However, the court observed that though on June 19, 2014, the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, East Khasi Hills, ordered that the CBI should hand over the seized documents to the State police. Thereafter, the magistrate passed another order on September 25, 2014, directing the state police to approach the High Court for necessary orders for procuring the documents.
“The fact of the matter, indisputably, remains that no such application was ever moved to the High Court and the matter remained pending, though in the meantime, the DGP, of course, changed the investigating officer,” the court said.
The disciplinary proceedings against J.D Sangma, the then Director, Elementary and Mass Education, were on the other hand, kept in abeyance for the reason that the criminal case was pending.
The case will be heard again on June 12.
