The state government has initiated disciplinary proceedings as per the rules against those believed to have been involved in the police vehicle scam, Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said today.
Yesterday, the Meghalaya High Court issued a rule of contempt against the Secretary of the Home Department for “deliberately disregarding” its order and “trying to obfuscate the issue and stand as an impediment to a fact-finding exercise in the matter of defalcation of public funds”.
The court was hearing a PIL on the alleged misuse of official vehicles by the police department, in which a senior officer is alleged to have been involved.
When asked about the various inquiries initiated against the particular officer, GK Iangrai, Rymbui said, “We did not exactly monitor what the inquiry is all about but the duty is to find the truth and whatever report has been submitted, the disciplinary committee will look into all the aspects and if proven action will be taken.”
The High Court had directed the Home Secretary to file a report indicating the effective measures taken, including arresting any attempt by those prima facie found to be involved in the racket to remove or dissipate or secret their assets or funds.
Although the report was filed by the required date of October 17, no affidavit had been prepared to take responsibility for the report, which the court described as “perfunctory and most insulting”.
Rymbui declined to comment on the ruling as he claimed not to have seen it yet. However, he denied that the scam would have a negative bearing on the image of the police department.
Meanwhile, on the latest observation of the court on illegal mining and transportation of coal, Rymbui maintained that whatever observations the court has, the government will implement to the fullest.
“We are here to see that the law of the land prevails and whatever shortcomings are there have to be rectified so that illegality stops completely,” he said.
He also expressed a hope that the police recruitment process will be completed as soon as possible. Last month, aspirants staged a sit-in to demand the declaration of police test results. They had applied for police jobs in 2019 but the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the hiring process in 2020. The physical efficiency test was then conducted in November 2021 and the written exams in February of this year.
However, the results are yet to be declared because the roster system has not been implemented. Every government department needs to come up with a roster system to lay out the ways and means that job reservation is applied. Last month Rymbui had said that the system was on the verge of completion.
