SHILLONG: Former Education Minister and sitting Congress MLA, Ampareen Lyngdoh against whom charge sheet has been filed by the CBI in the education scam, appeared before the special court earlier this week but did not seek bail.
While Lyngdoh was unwilling to comment on the matter as it was sub-judice, informed sources said that she appeared before the special court as per the procedure. Sources said the recent order of the special court cannot be termed as a bail as it was a regular thing to do during the start of the trial.
“This is not getting bail and being released from custody but when trial begins, basically, you have to give surety to the Court that you will participate in the trial,” the sources clarified.
It may be mentioned that the CBI earlier this year had filed charge-sheet against Ampareen Lyngdoh and two others in the infamous education scam. Prior to that the CBI had written to the state government seeking approval for prosecution against the accused persons and it was granted recently by the Governor and other competent authorities in the state.
The High Court of Meghalaya had on November 2, 2016 ordered the CBI to probe into the criminal aspect of the scam as the police had delayed the investigations.
The terms of reference were to investigate into the alleged manipulation of score sheets and interference in the selection of assistant teachers in lower primary schools in 2008-09.
Based on the order of the court, the CBI had registered an FIR under various sections related to criminal conspiracy, forgery and criminal breach of trust against the accused.
The allegation against the Laitumkhrah MLA was that she had instructed the then Director of School Education JD Sangma and two of her supporters to tamper with and fudge the marks sheets by applying white fluid for unduly appointing several favoured candidates.