Meghalaya HC directs no coercive action be taken against DGP

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 16, 2024

The Meghalaya High Court has directed that no coercive action be taken against the incumbent Director General of Police (DGP) Lajja Ram Bishnoi in connection with the FIR filed against the use of a fake number plate.

In an order passed on Wednesday, Justice B Bhattacharjee said, In view of the contentions raised, at the interim, it is provided that no coercive action be taken against the petitioner in Sadar P.S. FIR No. 141(5) 2024 under Section 409/467/471/120-B IPC read with Section 192 of M V Act till the returnable date. List this matter after 3 (three) weeks.”

The court said that, “the prime contention raised by the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner is that the FIR dated 09-05-2024 in Sadar P.S. FIR No. 141(5) 2024 has been lodged by the respondent No.2 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.”

“It is also contended by the learned counsel for the petitioner that the allegations made in the FIR dated 09-05-2024 do not fulfil the ingredients of the Sections of law under which the FIR has been registered,” it said.

On May 9, former Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Meghalaya Police GK Iangrai filed an FIR against  DGP Lajja Ram Bishnoi for allegedly misuse and tampering of registration number plate of his vehicle.

The complaint filed with Sadar Police Station, also came close to the heel of Bishnoi’s retirement on May 19.

Iangrai, who was arrested on November 2, 2022 for allegedly misappropriating funds sanctioned for the construction of the Nationwide Emergency Response System (NERS) building in Shillong, also sought action against the members of the Inquiry Committee into the matter.

In the FIR, the former AIG said that the Enquiry Committee constituted dated July 18, 2022, in its report contained in Para 1 of page 3, states as follows: “One Hyndai Verna which is parked at Central Workshop has been allotted a fake number and no Registration of the vehicle was done by AIG-A, since no documents are available”.

He said that the said report appears to have been prepared in any easy chair i.e to say without making an on the spot inquiry and cross checking the record of the transport department.

As per a letter under Right to Information (RTI) dated July 27, 2023 about the said vehicle i.e Verna 1.6 VTVT is registered with the transport department, government of Meghalaya, Shillong as ML-02-A-0001, in the name of the Director General of Police, government of Meghalaya.

“The aforesaid information under the RTI by the transport department, government of Meghalaya, nails down the said report of the Inquiry Committee, which calls for necessary action against the members of the Committee,” Iangrai said.

Further in the FIR, the former AIG said that the another aspect of the matter is really intriguing as would be evident from the following facts: “Lajja Ram Bishnoi, who is holding the chair of the Director General of Police, Meghalaya, came to Shillong, to join his present posting on May 17, 2022 in a white Kia Carnival Limousine model vehicle, which was having registration of Government of Assam, but thereafter, it appears Lajja Ram Bishnoi, in an act of criminal conspiracy, changed the number plate of the vehicle and now he is putting a new number plate bearing registration number ML-02-A-0001, which number is registered for the aforesaid vehicle Verna 1.6 VTVT.”

He said it has further been learnt that the said white Kia Carnival Limousine is requisitioned vehicle, for the purpose, best known to Lajja Ram Bishnoi, but he is using the same for his personal use, as would be evident from the photographs of the use and his presence in the vehicle.

The former AIG said that as per the Rules and Standard Guidelines, the Director General of Police Government of Meghalaya, Shilling is entitled to use a vehicle within the range of Rs 12 lakh only, while the said vehicle cost almost Rs 40 lakhs only, to which the DGP, Government of Meghalaya is not entitled.

Recently, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong had maintained that law will take its own case in regards to the complaint lodged against the incumbent Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP). 

“We received the FIR yesterday afternoon relating to a fake number plate. So now a case has been registered and the investigation has just started. So please give space, let the investigation start and thereafter let the law take its own course,” Tynsong had then stated.