Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 17
The Gauhati High Court on Tuesday has directed the Senior Government Advocate Nagaland to take up the matter of appointment of counsel for Nagaland Lokayukta with State Chief Secretary.
Justice Kakheto Sema issued the direction after observing that the while the Court has directed the Nagaland Lokayukta to appoint a counsel on two previous occasions (in December 2022 and March 2023), the latter has not taken any step to represent the Lokayukta in the High Court. Due to this the Court is facing difficulties to proceed with a case, in which the Nagaland Lokayukta is impleaded as one of the respondents, noted the order issued by the Justice Sema on May 16.
“It is made clear that if on the next date there is no representation on behalf of respondent No.5 (Nagaland Lokayukta), the case shall be heard and disposed of on the basis of the pleadings available on record,” the order stated, listing the matter for further hearing on June 12. AS per the Court’s record, the matter pertains to a writ petition praying for ‘quashing and sitting aside’ of a case registered by erstwhile the Vigilance Commission Nagaland in 2017.
However, during the pendency of the writ petition the Nagaland Lokayukta Act, 2017 was enacted and under Section 36, of the Act, among others stated that “all inquiries and investigations and other disciplinary proceedings pending before the Nagaland State Vigilance Commission and which have not been disposed of, shall stand transferred to and be continued by Lokayukta as if they were commenced before him under this Act.”
The Nagaland Lokayukta, accordingly, was impleaded in the case as a respondent.
