The Meghalaya High Court has suggested the CBI to cut short the list of witnesses in the criminal case involving cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh so that only those who could prove the case beyond reasonable doubt can be produced and examined by the court.
The single bench of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji said that so far not more than 20 witnesses for the prosecution have been examined and that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has about 162 witnesses.
“Selection of witnesses should be so made so that only the required number to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt is produced and examined before the Court. Unnecessary witnesses and evidence should be avoided,” the court said.
According to the court if the application to quash the proceeding succeeds, then that would be the end of the matter, but if it does not, examination of 162 witnesses would make the proceedings extremely “dilatory, long, harassive and unfair” to the accused.
The Court also stated that till the list is finalised by the CBI, it shall make appropriate submissions before the learned criminal court with regard to further examination of witnesses and the criminal court shall make a decision.
It also observed that criminal proceedings against cabinet minister and Shillong East MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh, pending for 13 years has to be disposed of. Prima facie I am of the view that this criminal proceeding from PS Case No.62 (07)2011 stage is pending for over 13 years. It is high time it is disposed of.”
According to the Court the petitions filed by the accused are on various grounds and the ground made out by the first accused, who is a minister, is that the charge-sheet does not disclose any offence.
It may be mentioned that the CBI had charge-sheeted Lyngdoh and retired government officials, J D Sangma and Ameka Lyngdoh for manipulating score sheets of candidates in the infamous Education Scam of 2009.
The High Court in 2017 ordered the CBI to take over the investigation registered by Meghalaya police relating to alleged mass manipulation, tampering score sheets and interference in the selection of assistant teachers in lower primary schools in 2008-09.
