SHILLONG, Sep 14: In the midst of ever-growing dissent, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday assured a delegation of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) that there will be no dilution of Autonomous District Council (ADC) courts even after the implementation of the provisions of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, and the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), 1908, in tribal areas of Meghalaya.
The chief minister assured this during a meeting with the members of the KHADC, who have been vehemently opposing the extension of CrPC and CPC provisions in tribal areas of the state.
Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Conrad said the entire purpose of coming up with the notification was to allow judicial magistrates to continue their work and functions that were being done by the ADC courts when Executive and Judiciary were not segregated.
“There is nothing beyond that and there is no question of diluting the power of District Council or interfering with village court or changing procedure in district council,” he said.
Assuring that the provisions and powers of the ADC courts are safeguarded by the provisions of the Constitution, Conrad said that the most important protection the ADC and the ADC courts enjoy is the provision in para 4 and 5 of the Sixth Schedule, and no notification supersedes the same.
Reiterating that the objective of the state government’s notification was to complete and regularise the process of separation of Executive and Judiciary, the chief minister asserted that tribal versus tribal cases will be tried by ADC courts.
Meanwhile, KHADC CEM Titosstarwell Chyne has said that the Council will meet on Friday to confer about the matter, and take a final call.
It may be mentioned that the state Cabinet last week cleared the CrPC and CPC notification, making them applicable in the tribal areas of Meghalaya.
Conrad had earlier said that the ADCs exercise their power and take up cases at the district level. But without any ADC judiciary, the judicial magistrates were not being able to draw their power from any particular law or source.
“They had to be given that power,” he had said, adding that the magistrates will continue to do what the ADC judiciary did earlier.
