CM Rio allegedly summoned by ED
Mokokchung, October 13 (MTNews): According to a report published earlier on Thursday morning by The New Indian Express, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently questioned Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in connection with the non-existent high court building in Kohima.
The report said that the CM was summoned by ED and questioned for several hours last month at a military facility in Rangapahar, Dimapur.
The agency has been probing the issue after the CBI filed two charge sheets in the matter in January last at a special court in Dimapur, TNIE reported.
The foundation of the High Court building was laid in 2007 and the state so far has withdrawn over Rs 70 crore towards its construction, TNIE added.
According to the report, the basic structure of the site is barely in place, but the Nagaland government till 2018 allegedly withdrew Rs 44.24 crore against electrification and water supply for the project site besides another Rs 22.42 crore for the construction of bungalows for the judges, the area for which was not earmarked.
It pointed out that the amounts were siphoned out between March 2009 and March 2017 through 18 withdrawals by Nagaland’s Justice and Law Department.
TNIE report also said that when nothing happened till 2018, a set of petitions were filed by the Nagaland Tribes Council and some Nagaland-based social and RTI activists at the Gauhati High Court. A bench hearing the matter termed it “beyond belief” on learning that the government even paid Rs 1.3 crores as a consultancy fee for the construction.
NDPP rubbishes claim
Over the issue, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) was quick to jump in and said that the party’s attention has been drawn to the “false news being circulated on some electronic, print and social media” that the Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio had been recently summoned and questioned by the Enforcement Directorate.
The NDPP clarified that the Chief Minister was “never summoned nor questioned by the ED till date.”
“Such malicious false news have been fabricated and spread by unscrupulous elements whose sole intentions are to damage the image of the Hon’ble Chief Minister and defame his name and the office he occupies,” said a press release issued by NDPP Media & Communication Committee on Thursday.
Calling the acts of maligning the name and image of any person, let alone a Chief Minister, “highly unacceptable and unbecoming in our society,” the NDPP said it strongly condemn the allegation citing that the CM was “one of the tallest leaders the State has produced” and called for condemnation by every right thinking citizen.
The NDPP further conveyed to the people of Nagaland that all legalities have been put in place in order to “identify and apprehend the source of this false and defamatory news” and asserted that all legal actions will be pursued so that such acts are not committed in the future.
“The President and rank and file of the NDPP collectively stand steadfast with the Hon’ble Chief Minister and it is also our strong demand that the state government leave no stone unturned to identify and apprehend the culprits immediately and book them under relevant laws. Let this be an example to deter others from resorting to such malicious acts in the future,” it concluded.
NPCC demands
Governor to dismiss UDA Govt.
Meanwhile, the NPCC chief K. Therie, while citing TNIE report demanded that the responsibility be taken by the Governor of Nagaland to dismiss the UDA government “to remove obstacles, if any, for free and fair investigations and also to deliver justice to the people.”
Citing The New Indian Express (TNIE) report which indicated that Nagaland State has withdrawn over 70 crores towards construction of High Court building that does not exist, the NPCC chief said that it is ‘public property’ and that one cannot run away.
“In the matter, CBI has filed two cases [Case no 6/2021 and Case No 7/2021] accusing 14 in one case and 16 in the other. ED has also filed 5 cases,” he said.
He also asked the CM to prove himself if he was not questioned by ED for 6 hrs at Rangapahar military base as was reported in TNIE.
“If he is not guilty, he should prove himself clean before the people,” Therie said.
The NPCC president also stated that since the matter is sub-judice, the CM should resign on moral grounds to enable the judicial process.
“But I do not think he will do so,” he added.
“Therefore, in upholding the commitment of the Hon’ble Prime Minister and Hon’ble Union Home Minister over zero tolerance towards corruption, it is the responsibility of the Governor of Nagaland to dismiss the Govt. In other states, such accused resign on moral grounds or are dismissed with many living in jail. The law is the same for all. We demand justice from the Hon’ble Governor of Nagaland,” Therie stated.
He further pointed out that it is also the duty of the BJP to come out clean in the matter if they are not collaborating in the corruption.