SHILLONG, May 28: Six Meghalaya MLAs, two of them incumbent, have pending criminal cases against them. One of them held the Deputy Chief Minister’s post.
The High Court of Meghalaya had registered a suo motu case regarding designated courts to monitor the disposal of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs following a directive of the Supreme Court on November 9, 2023.
A statement updated by the high court on May 23 said criminal cases are pending against four MPs and MLAs in the East Khasi Hills district.
The case against former MLA Bindo M Lanong is being heard in the court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class. The FIR in this case was filed on February 21, 2013.
The alleged offences against him are under Section 126 of the Representation of Peoples Act of 1951. The charge sheet was filed on April 20, 2014, and charges were framed on November 17, 2021.
According to the update, the present status of the case is for examination of the accused under Section 313 of the CrPC and the trial is expected to be completed in three months. The case, going on for more than nine years, entails punishment of less than two years.
A case against former MLA Deborah C Marak is pending in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shillong. The FIR was filed on February 16, 2013, for alleged offences in 2015 under Sections 120B, 171F, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code. The maximum prison term in this case can be seven years.
The charge sheet in the case against Marak was filed on October 31, 2014, while the charges were framed on January 29, 2021. The trial in this eight-year-old case, at the evidence stage now, is expected to be completed in 10-12 months.
Health and Family Welfare Minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh has a case against her at the court of the Special Judge (CBI), Shillong. The offences alleged against her in the special CBI case number 2/2020 on June 25, 2020, are under Sections 120B, 420, 467, 468, 471, and 201 of the IPC and Section 13(2) read with Section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The maximum punishment in this case can be for 10 years. The charges in this case were framed on August 24, 2022. The three-year-old case is at the evidence stage and the trial is expected to be completed in four years.
Former MLA Mohendro Rapsang also has a pending criminal case against him in the court of the Judicial Magistrates First Class. The FIR against him was filed in 2022-23 under Sections 427, 447, 506, and 34.
The five-month-old case entails a maximum punishment of three years. The charge sheet was filed on October 31, 2023, and the current status of the case is “appearance of the accused”.
In the West Jaintia Hills district, a case is pending against former MLA Julius Kitbok Dorphang in the court of the Special Judge (POCSO), Jowai.
The FIR was filed on December 24, 2016, under Section 5(c)(I) and 6 of the POCSO Act. The charge sheet in this case, entailing life imprisonment or death, was filed on February 8, 2017, and the charges were framed on June 7.
The case, pending for five years, is at the evidence stage. The expected time of completion of the trial is one year.
Another sitting MLA, Sanjay A Sangma also has a case pending against him at the court of the Special Judge, Tura in West Garo Hills. The FIR in this case was filed on August 2, 2023, under Sections 12 and 13 of the PC Act.
The case carries a maximum punishment of seven years. The charge sheet was filed on August 2, 2023.
The matter is at the stage of consideration of charge and the expected time of completion of trial in this seven-month-old case is one year.
