The Meghalaya High Court has extended the interim relief to former Director General of Police (DGP) Lajja Ram Bishnoi in the FIR lodged against him by suspended police officer Gabriel K Iangrai.
During hearing of the criminal petition filed by Bishnoi today, Philemon Nongbri, the lawyer for Iangrai told the High Court that an affidavit in response to the criminal petition will be filed by him to bring on record certain documents and facts which may be necessary for proper adjudication of the matter. Nongbri also sought some time for filing the response.
“In view of the submission made, list this matter after two weeks. The interim order passed earlier shall continue until further orders,” Justice B Bhattacharjee said in his order.
It may be mentioned that the High Court in its order passed on May 15 had directed the State government not to take any coercive action against Bishnoi in the case registered against him at Shillong Sadar police station.
The High Court bench of Justice B Bhattacharjee passed the order today on the petition filed by Bishnoi in the High Court challenging the FIR filed against him by suspended police officer Gabriel K. Iangrai in connection with the alleged tampering of registration number of the DGP vehicle. Bishnoi also sought for quashing of the FIR.
“In view of the contentions raised, at the interim, it is provided that no coercive action be taken against the petitioner in Sadar PS FIR No. 141(5) 2024 under Section 409/467/471/120-B of IPC read with Section 192 of M V Act till the returnable date,” the High Court had said.
Bishnoi contended that the FIR dated May 9, 2024 in Shillong Sadar police station has been lodged by Iangrai with an ulterior motive to take revenge mainly due to the institution of some enquiry against him during the functioning of the petitioner as the DGP of the Meghalaya Police.
He also contended that the allegations made in the FIR do not fulfill the ingredients of the sections of law under which the FIR has been registered.
In his FIR registered at Sadar police station on May 8, Iangrai quoted from the inquiry committee report from 2022 about a Hyundai Verna parked at the central workshop which had “been allotted a fake number and no registration of the vehicle was done by the AIG-A (Iangrai), since no documents are available.”
Iangrai said that the record shows that the Hyundai in question was registered with the Transport Department with the licence plate number ML 02 A 0001 under the Director General of Police as an official police vehicle.
Iangrai then accused Bishnoi of switching this number plate to a Kia Carnival Limousine vehicle that had been registered with the Assam government, which he arrived in Shillong in when he took charge as DGP in May 2022.
The FIR then went on to accuse Bishnoi of using this Kia for his personal use even though it is a vehicle requisitioned for the police force. Use of the vehicle as a police car also violates police rules as the DGP is only entitled to use a vehicle that costs up to Rs 12 lakh, while a new Kia Carnival Limousine costs up to Rs 40 lakh, Iangrai added.
Iangrai accused Bishnoi of being guilty of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust as well as forgery.
Following the registration of the FIR by the Shillong Sadar Police Station, Bishnoi moved the High Court challenging the allegations made against him.
