Despite almost daily revelations of some irregularity or the other making it onto the front pages of Meghalaya’s newspapers, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma is still employing semantics in his willingness to give the benefit of the doubt to the police department.
According to a high-level inquiry instituted by new Director General of Police LR Bishnoi, there were several irregularities in the purchase and allotment of police vehicles by Gabriel K Iangrai, including misuse of fuel. The inquiry also found that a total of 29 vehicles were in his “personal custody” and that he used the vehicles for personal purposes.
Despite the cloud hanging over him, the Home Department transferred but did not suspend Iangrai, who had, until then, been Assistant Inspector General (A). He is now the SF-10 Commandant but is currently on medical leave and has reportedly been admitted in a city hospital.
Today, Sangma reiterated that using the word ‘scam’ to describe these goings-on was not appropriate. However, when he was told that the inquiry itself uses the word, he claimed ignorance.
“As I have mentioned, from the overall look of everything that’s happening, it looks like there were some issues concerning the allotment (of vehicles) that took place, some delay and some use of or misuse of certain arrears. But in principle, the procedures look to be in place. That’s what it looks like but, of course, the department is going into the entire inquiry,” Sangma said.
The full report has still not been submitted but leaks have been appearing in the press for a week now.
“We have never shied away from any inquiry, any commission… We will not shy away from this either,” the CM said. “There is a criteria that goes into a scam – that they misused public funds or has there been some kind of issue in that. So those things have to be studied and examined and if the reports come out and if the suggestions come from the department that there has to be an inquiry then definitely we will do it.”
