Former Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Meghalaya police, Gabriel K. Iangrai has been arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The tainted MPS officer was arrested by the CID from his residence here today.
The arrest was based on the FIR lodged against him regarding the financial scandals in the construction of National Emergency Response System (NERS), Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) at the Shillong Sadar Police Station.
Earlier during the day, Iangrai tried to secure anticipatory bail from the Meghalaya High Court.
However, his lawyer P Yobin later sought withdrawal of the bail application.
The bench of Justice Wanlura Diengdoh in an order passed today dismissed the bail plea as withdrawn.
The FIR was lodged against Iangrai following findings of an internal inquiry led by the Deputy Inspector General (Eastern Range).
During the investigation of the same on November 2, simultaneous searches were conducted on the strength of the warrant issued by the Court of the Special Judge (PC Act), Shillong at the residential premises of Iangrai at Lumshyiap, Chanmari, Upper Golf Links, Official Quarter at Golf Links, and his farm house at Rtiang, Umsning.
During the searches, many incriminating documents, cash and material objects were seized and Iangrai was arrested.
It was revealed that an amount of Rs 95, 78,000 was sanctioned for the NERS project, out of which Rs 68, 37,440 was sanctioned for the NERS PSAP building at the Shillong Sadar Police Station. The break-up of the project is civil work (Rs 3 lakh), tubular structure (Rs 62 lakh) and electrification (Rs 3, 37,400).
As per the utilisation certificate (UC) submitted by Iangrai, it was certified that tender notice, tender opening committee and line committee have been set up. However, none of these as declared in the UC furnished by Iangrai were undertaken.
It was also revealed that Iangrai has not floated any tender notice nor has he given the work to any authorised government agency but he constructed the NERS building by utilising the police personnel and by procuring materials directly from a contractor in violation of the Meghalaya Financial Rules without a detailed plan and estimate, details of any muster rolls, certified payment details, bills etc. It was also found that he submitted a false UC of the entire amount.
Further, Iangrai also provided a false completion report without clearance from either an engineer or any inspection committee in violation of normal procedure.
The bills were also obtained without verification and the cost of materials obtained departmentally were not obtained through contingent bills as prescribed by established rules.
“The construction work was done in a very shoddy manner and damages to the constructed structure have started to appear. So much so that to save the building from further damage, retrofitting and repairs were undertaken through additional funds from the State scheme,” the FIR said.
Further, the furnishing materials procured were of sub-standard and defective quality. In violation of the rules, the line committee was not set up to accept such materials. As the incumbent Assistant Inspector General (Administration) at that time, it was Iangrai’s responsibility to ensure that a line committee was set up to verify that materials received were in good condition.
Although Iangrai had furnished a false UC to the government, it is pertinent to mention that after audit objection regarding the implementation of the project, Iangrai refunded Rs 26,85,389 back to the office account on July 19, 2022 after about 1.5 years of the audit objection and requested the cancellation of the first UC dated January 14, 2021 vide his letter dated July 1, 2022 enclosing a fresh UC.
It was also found that after the refund of Rs 26,85,389, Iangrai is still in possession of Rs 8,55,000.75 as per his own reply to the audit observations on the irregularities in the implementation of the project. As per his letter dated July 20, 2022 he has admitted that Rs 35,40,389.75 was an unspent amount despite having submitted UC for the entire amount vide letter dated July 1, 2022.
The FIR concluded that Iangrai by abusing his official position as Assistant Inspector General (Administration) during the period between October 2019 and August 2022 “entered into a criminal conspiracy with unknown persons to intentionally enrich himself illicitly and to gain undue pecuniary benefit to himself and other unknown persons”.
The FIR also said that in furtherance of the criminal conspiracy, Iangrai by abusing his official position flouted the established procedures and “misappropriated funds to the tune of above Rs 35 lakh by submitting forged vouchers, utilisation certificates, etc and using them as genuine, causing loss to the State”.
