By Our Reporter
Shillong: The High Court of Meghalaya on Friday, while hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the authenticity of the Scheduled Tribe certificate issued to Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, asked both parties to produce copies of the necessary laws and rules during the next hearing scheduled on September 6.
Hearing the case on Friday, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice TNK Singh and Justice SR Sen directed the State Government and the petitioner, Tennydard M Marak, to produce the Reservation of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Act and Rules of Meghalaya, and a brochure on Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe published and issued by the Central Government.
Marak had filed the PIL alleging that the Chief Minister had fraudulently obtained the Scheduled Tribe certificate.
However, Advocate General KS Kynjing, appearing on behalf of the State Government, raised the maintainability of the writ petition in the form of PIL and also contended that the affidavit filed by the petitioner in support of the writ petition was not in the prescribed format.
The division bench, thus, permitted the Advocate General to file a short affidavit on the two issues.
The respondents to the PIL include the State of Meghalaya, represented by the Secretary to the Department of Welfare of Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, Secretary to the Home Department, South West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, and the Chief Minister himself.
Earlier, Marak had sent a complaint to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes demanding cancellation of the Scheduled Tribe certificate which was accorded to the Chief Minister.
The complainant had also asked the Election Commission to take action against Dr Sangma. (With inputs from IANS)
