SHILLONG, Sep 6: Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Saket Gokhale on Tuesday lodged a formal complaint with Meghalaya Lokayukta on the irregularities in the procurement of vehicles and other anomalies in the Police Headquarters (PHQ).
In a letter to Lokayukta chairperson Bhalang Dhar, he listed 10 points on the “horrendous conduct” of the Meghalaya Police.
Gokhale said he took the step on the basis of Dhar’s statement that he would initiate an enquiry into the allegations if a formal complaint was lodged as there is no provision for suo-motu investigation in the Lokayukta Act.
“A total of 29 new vehicles procured by the Meghalaya PHQ had not been officially allotted to any officer and neither were they allocated to a pool of vehicles for being at the disposal of the Meghalaya Police Department. These 29 new vehicles were found to have been in the personal use of AIG (A) GK Iangrai. There are instances of many new vehicles where cheaper models were purchased but invoices were raised showing procurement of more expensive variants by the AIG,” he wrote.
“There are a gross number of irregularities found in the issuing of fuel coupons for these new vehicles where government fuel was being used for private use and fake fuel coupons were generated,” Gokhale added.
Expressing a sense of consternation, he wrote: “Despite an enquiry committee headed by Meghalaya Additional IGP Mukesh Kumar Singh exposing these irregularities in a report to the Director-General of Police, Meghalaya, there has been no action against Iangrai.”
No scam until proven otherwise
UDP leader and Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said allegations are always judged and projected as a scam without anyone going deep into it, but the government cannot take anything as a scam until proven otherwise.
“When we talk about scams and judicial inquiries or any inquiry, we have to follow the procedures mandated by the Inquiry Commission Act. Like in Cheristerfield Thangkiew’s case, the government will lay the report in the Assembly, and based on that, a report would be put in the public domain on the action taken,” he said.
On other allegations, he said: “We are very fortunate because we cannot hide any scam. We are living in a glass house where the people scrutinise us and tend to judge things but when you go deep, things are not as projected.”
He said the police department is governed by its own rules when asked about the delay in suspending Iangrai.
“The PHQ has submitted the internal inquiry report to the Home Department, which is seeking clarifications. Action will be taken based on the clarifications and according to the law,” Rymbui said.
He negated the perception that Iangrai has been promoted as the commandant of the SF10. “It is an equivalent post. Besides, when the transfer order came out, the department had no idea about the inquiry report,” he said.
“Moreover, you have to give the accused a chance to defend himself,” he added.
When pointed out that Iangrai has not been called to give an explanation in almost two weeks since the report came out, Rymbui said: “The report was submitted only recently. We are not here to hide anything but sensitive information leaked to the media before going to the DGP is a serious matter.”
He said reports are not considered by the week but from the day they reach the government for studying. “The government has to find out if the content leaked to the press is the same as that submitted,” he added.