SHILLONG, Jan 23: The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Assam, has yet again 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.
The inquiry panel has issued a fresh notice to the Assam PCCF to furnish the details to the commission on or before January 31.
“Notice is hereby to given to you once again to furnish to the Commission, on or before 31-01-2023, a statement relating to the above incident 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,” Justice Vaiphei said in the notice.
Justice Vaiphei said that the statement called for from the PCCF has not been received though he was asked to do so by the order of this commission dated 6-1-2023.
“The notice was sent to him through his email ID as well as by speed post. Once again, the attention of the PCCF, Assam is drawn to the powers of this commission under Section 5 of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 to take coercive measures to enforce its order,” he said.
According to him, the statement supported by affidavit in accordance with Rule 5(2)(a) of the Commission of Inquiry (Central Rules), 1972, must reach the Office of the Commission on or before January 31.
“The statement of the DIG, CR, Assam, Diphu complying with the requirements of the Rules has been received and the same is taken on board for consideration. Let the matter come up again on 31-01-2023 for further proceedings,” Justice Vaiphei added.
It may be recalled that the state government on November 23 had constituted a one-man commission of inquiry to probe the Mukroh incident, where six people including five civilians from the state and a forest guard from Assam had lost their lives.
