SHILLONG, Aug 28: The expose by the five-member inquiry team on irregularities and mismanagement in the procurement of vehicles and use of fuel by the Police Headquarters (PHQ) and naming the now Commandant of the Special Forces- 10 Gabriel K Iangrai as the man behind the vehicle ‘scam’ has set alarm bells ringing among the state police hierarchy.
But there are reasons aplenty to explain how and why Iangrai became so powerful in the establishment. The financial power of a superintendent of police (SP) is Rs 2000, barring a few exceptions while the financial power of a director-general of police is Rs 50,000.
If an SP or a commanding officer has to procure anything beyond Rs 2000 they have to get sanction from PHQ which gives administrative approval after which the procurements are made by the units. If the procurement expenditure exceeds Rs 50,000, the PHQ has to get approval from the Home department.
Before Iangrai took charge as assistant inspector-general (administration) materials like spare parts, stationary, hardware, etc., were procured by the SPs or the COs. After Iangrai took charge things were centralised and PHQ started procuring everything. This sowed the seeds for a contractor-PHQ nexus, sources informed, adding that the political masters were also given a cut out of the deals.
For items like uniform and rations which were already centralised a particular contractor, who is also the owner of a vehicle showroom and was very close to former DGP R Chandranathan, created a monopoly. Shadow firms were floated and contracts were given to him to the tune of several crores of rupees. Even the contract for installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations of Meghalaya was given to that particular contractor, the amount for which is over Rs 10 crore, the sources informed.
Sources allege that the contractor has close links with Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui and therefore unless a High Court monitored probe is conducted into the procurement of all the budgetary allocations of the PHQ in the past 3-4 years, the truth is unlikely to come out.
Allegations galore
More skeletons seem to be tumbling out the Police closet with the inquiry committee revealing that on March 9, 2020, administrative approval was given by the then DGP (Chandranathan) for construction of four temporary barracks, four toilets and one langar for MLP 3rd battalion at Sahbsein in West Jaintia Hills. This was to be done on a self-help basis. Clear instructions were given that the construction work should be executed under the supervision of the Commandant of the Battalion and the Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), PHQ.
The inquiry found out that the construction work was carried out by Iangrai himself. Although three suppliers for the materials ¬– P Ryngkhlem, Balentina Lyngdoh and Restilda Lyngdoh of Jowai – were already approved, Iangrai used a supplier from Garo Hills – Amani Enterprise. The MLP 3rd Battalion (engineering cell) forwarded all the bills to PHQ.
On April 13, 2021, Constable Klidwet Suchiang, who was driving a battalion truck (ML02 1867) ferrying materials on Iangrai’s order, met with an accident at Sohryngkham. The constable later succumbed to his injuries.
No regular case or case of unnatural death was registered at Sohryngkham outpost or Mawryngkneng police station. The law is very clear that if a policeman dies on duty his body must compulsorily be subjected to a post-mortem but in this case the family members of (L) Suchiang were pressurised to seek exemption of post-mortem. As a result the family never got any insurance.
Meanwhile, retired DGP WR Marbaniang while weighing in on this issue pointed to an article he had written on the occasion of the MLP’s 50th year where he had clearly stated thus: “The battalions have a time-tested formal and hierarchically structured set-up which is the commandant, second-in-command, assistant commandant, company second-in-command and the platoon commander down to the section commander who is a havildar. When the government raises a battalion it also has the responsibility to ensure that the unit has a full complement of gazetted officers,” Marbaniang said, adding that a thousand women and men that form a battalion cannot be left at the mercy of being inadequately officered.
Marbaniang continued: “Gone are the days of the illiterate and ‘can sign’ persons who used to be recruited. Today’s recruits are well-educated and savvy. It is crucial for the discipline, training and integrity of the unit that battalion personnel are provided with proper leadership at appropriate levels.”
Meanwhile yet another retired police officer stated that he was surprised that Iangrai was appointed as Commandant of the elite SF-10. “If at all, Iangrai should have been appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) without any portfolio,” the retired officer said.