Dimapur, July 20 (MExN): The ACAUT Nagaland on Friday accused the state police of “selectively and arbitrarily” interpreting cases in registering FIRs.
A press release from the ACAUT’s Media Cell while informing that it had filed an FIR against the Rural Development officials (RD) of Medziphema Block on April 25 last, stated, “It’s now almost three months since the FIR was filed by the ACAUT but till date the case has not been registered by the Medziphema Police Station.”
ACAUT had filed an FIR against the Rural Development officials (RD) of Medziphema Block for illegally obtaining blank Cheques from the Medziphema Village Council (MVC) basing upon the press release of the MVC dated 24th March, 2017.
According to the MVC press release, the RD Department had on various occasions, asked the VDB Secretary and Village Council Chairman to sign blank cheques meant for department mobilization works. “As there is no clarity on what mobilization works were undertaken by the RD department as nothing concrete works was seen by the Village, hence Medziphema Village have unanimously resolved that henceforth Medziphema VDB Secretary and Chairman, Medziphema Village Council will not issue any blank cheque to RD department,” the MVC had stated.
The MVC’s press release also informed of a general meeting on March 18 and declared that henceforth no blank cheques will be issued by the MVC.
Highlighting a similar instance, ACAUT informed that the Diphuphar Police Station had promptly registered an FIR filed on July 7 against official/s of the same department under Chumoukedima Block after the Chumoukedima Area GB Association (CAGBA) had alleged that “80% of MGNREGA funds were deducted as Convergence Fund by Rural Development Department officials of Chumoukedima Block.”
ACAUT further claimed that the Officer In-Charge (OC) of Medziphema Police Station in a telephonic conversation with an ACAUT member “admitted” that in his preliminary inquiry, “both the RDD officials and the Village council members have admitted to obtaining and giving out blank checks respectively and secondly, both the parties again admitted that such has been the common practice for many years.”
“Therefore, it is rather astonishing to see the reluctance on the part of Medziphema police to discharge their duties when malpractice and misappropriation has been established,” ACAUT maintained and in this connection, questioned the Dimapur Police Commissioner and the State Director General of Police (DGP) as to why the same offence were being interpreted differently.
“The ACAUT can only conclude that the law has been selectively and arbitrarily interpreted,” ACAUT maintained and further asked the police authorities to enlighten the general public regarding the two cases and also to highlight SC verdicts in cases where the police refuse to register FIR.
