SHILLONG, Aug 29: The inquiry into the alleged irregularities and mismanagement in the procurement of vehicles and use of fuel by the then Assistant Inspector-General of Police (Administration) GK Iangrai, seems to be unearthing new evidence against the now Commandant of the elite Special Forces-10 unit of the state police.
While the inquiry report has mentioned misuse of as many as 29 official vehicles, including two-wheelers by Iangrai, of particular interest is the case of a Tata truck model number 1212 (ML02 3022) stationed with 4th MLP Battalion that was requisitioned by Police Headquarters in June last year and the driver was told to report to the officer in-charge of Police Guest House. But on being examined by the inquiry committee the driver of the said vehicle stated that the truck was used for ferrying materials for construction of Iangrai’s farmhouse at Umsning.
According to highly-placed sources even the coupons for issuance of petrol and diesel for at least 13 months amounting to a total of 6,388 litres were issued by Iangrai to himself vide coupons he had signed.
Sources have said that as the AIG (A), it is Iangrai’s duty is to hold the districts and battalions accountable because his duty entails strict monitoring of all units. Instead Iangrai himself indulged in criminal acts that warrant a case against under Section 409 IPC. Going by legal dictum, former Director-General of Police R Chandranathan also has vicarious liability for an act committed by an officer who reports directly to him.
A distraught retired police officer says: “I cannot believe that all these criminal acts have been carrying on without the knowledge and concurrence of the former DGP. Meghalaya Police has never before sunk so low. It is my considered opinion that a High Court monitored probe alone will unearth the truth which might be more incriminating than has been found so far. We don’t know yet to what lengths this man (Iangrai) has gone.
Meanwhile others sources have informed that the construction work in the MLP 3rd Battalion for several years was executed by Iangrai and he used to sign all the bills on behalf of the contractor.
Regarding the case of the driver constable who died in the accident at Sohryngkham, former police officers wonder if the former DGP was in the know of this incident.
A former officer speaking to this reporter said, “As a former officer who has served with all dedication through my service career I want to know who presided over the death of the driver constable? I also want to ask if the Commandant of the MLP 3rd Battalion informed the Police Headquarters about this serious matter. If not, then why? Was the Commandant told to hush up the matter? We are told that the driver was overworked and had to attend to duties assigned by the AIG (A) beyond office hours. We also want to know how and why police exempted the post-mortem of the driver constable who died in harness.”
It may be mentioned that since Lajja Ram Bishnoi took over as the Director-general of Police towards the end of May this year, Iangrai has been on medical leave and is allegedly admitted in a city hospital. In such circumstances police officials wonder how he can lead the SF-10, an elite and savvy force.
Meanwhile the Home department is tight-lipped on this entire matter and seems to have gone hiding behind the alibi of waiting for the final report.
