Into an alleged education scam of 2008-2009, the Meghalaya HC has directed the CBI to inquire into the criminal aspect of the case. The alleged scam is pending against the politicians and then Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh.
A bench of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Ved Prakash Vaish directed the CBI to investigate the centers where the recruitment exercise was held and they also cancelled the selection process carried out in five centers then.
The matter relates to the alleged irregularities in process of recruitment for selecting the assistant teachers in the lower primary schools run by the government of Meghalaya.
The court also said “all untainted candidates of the five centers – Shillong Sadar, Jowai, Amlarem, Tura and Dadenggre – whether in service or not, shall be allowed to participate in the fresh selection process.”
In 105 page order court exceptionally mentioned the interference of the politicians in the scam and stated that their interference vitiated the normal selection process and ordered a disciplinary action against the former education official J D Sangma.
“The large number of public representatives practically assumed that the matter of public employment by open competition could also be dealt with by way of their desires and recommendations. We refrain from commenting anything further in that regard but would leave the matter to be thoroughly investigated by the investigating agency,” the bench said.
It also said that none of the “untainted/unblemished candidates will be treated as age-barred if he/she was within the age prescribed by the notification dated November 24, 2008.”
