Education scam: HC yet to give verdict

SHILLONG: Four months after hearing in the controversial education scam ended, candidates are eagerly waiting for the High Court verdict.
The court concluded the marathon hearing on June 16 and reserved its judgment.
“We are anxiously waiting for the verdict and we have faith in the judiciary,” said one of the candidates on Monday.
The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice VP Vaish started fresh hearing in the matter on May 22 following a direction from the Supreme Court where the case was pending.
The court had examined both the reports of the CBI and the High Level Scrutiny Committee (HLSC) regarding the teachers’ recruitment scam.
It also heard the counsels for the petitioners and respondents, advocate general and others.
The genesis of the case is that in 2009, the government had carried out recruitment for the post of assistant teachers in lower primary schools and in the following year, the affected candidates filed an RTI query.
The reply pointed out irregularities in the recruitment process which prompted them to file a petition in the erstwhile Shillong Bench of the Gauhati High Court in 2010.
In 2011, after the court ordered a CBI inquiry into the matter, the report was submitted in 2012.
The CBI in its report had mentioned the name of then Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, besides naming ministers and MLAs who had recommended their own candidates for the job. The name of then Director of Mass and Elementary Education JD Sangma had also figured in the report.
In 2012, the Division Bench asked the government to constitute the HLSC following a petition from the Education Department.
The HLSC in its report submitted to the government in 2013 segregated ‘tainted and non-tainted’ candidates and recommended termination of the service of tainted candidates.
Later, after the Education Department terminated the services of the tainted candidates, they filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court and the order went in their favour.
The case was pending in the Supreme Court for the last three years and in March this year, the Apex Court wanted the High Court to have a fresh look at the matter by examining the CBI and the HLSC reports.