Inquiry panel directs Assam PCCF to respond by Jan 20

SHILLONG, Jan 9: The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Assam, has missed the deadline given by the one-man inquiry commission led by Justice (retd) T Vaiphei probing the Mukroh firing case, to submit a statement furnishing details of the Assam Forest personnel involved in the incident.
In view of this, the inquiry panel has re-issued the notice to the Assam PCCF to furnish the statement with details of the Forest personnel involved in the Mukroh incident.
In an order, Justice (retd) Vaiphei said no statement has been received from the PCCF, Assam, till date despite being asked to do so on or before December 29, 2022.
In what appeared to be a warning, the order drew the attention of the PCCF to the powers of the inquiry commission under Section 5 of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, to take appropriate actions for its effective functioning.
Secretary to the Commission, R Wahlang, has been directed to take steps to re-issue the notice to the PCCF through email as well as speed post.
“Notice is hereby given to the official to furnish to the Commission, on or before 20-01-2023, a statement relating which should be accompanied by affidavit in support of the facts stated therein by you together with the list of documents if any, on which you propose to rely and the originals or true copies of such documents in your possession or control and state the name(s) and address(es) from whom the remaining documents may be obtained,” the order read.
It may be mentioned that the statements from the DGPs of Meghalaya and Assam have been received.
However, the inquiry panel said that the statement of the Assam DGP is not supported by an affidavit, “which is not acceptable”.
“The official is asked to rectify the same and re-submit the statement on or before January 2,” the order stated.
Wahlang, Secretary to the inquiry panel, has also been directed to communicate the order to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, CR, Diphu, and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Assam, through their respective email IDs and by speed post.