PRJA alleges
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 08 2018: Erendro Leichombam, convener of Peoples' Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) has alleged that the enquiry committee constituted in connection with supply of substandard belts to Manipur police personnel, has submitted false, doctored and misleading report to the State Government.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club today, Erendro said that on June 7 last year, Chief Minister N Biren Singh visited the 1st Manipur Rifles store room where the sub standard belts were reportedly kept and ordered the immediate constitution of an enquiry committee in connection with the supply of 20,000 sub standard belts to Manipur police personnel.

The enquiry committee was headed by Dr Suhel Akhtar (IAS) Additional Chief Secretary, as its Chairman, Dr S Ibocha, then IGP (Administration) and R Sudhan (IAS) Special Secretary, as its members.

The enquiry committee submitted its report to the State Government and recommended the suspension of three police officers who were line committee members of the case and also to ban one officer from getting retirement benefits.

Erendro claimed that as per the record of the store register and confidential enquiry reports procured by PRJA, it has come to light that the enquiry conducted by the committee in connection with the case is of a new batch of 15,000 belts and not of the target 20,000 belts.

He elaborated that the leather belts were supplied by supplier M/S Md Abdul Gani Khan of Masjid road, on two different occasions.

The first supply of 20,000 leather belts worth Rs 23,24,000 was done in August 2014 and another 15,000 leather belts worth Rs 17.5 lakh were supplied in May 2016, he explained.

Erendro continued that as per the register record of 1st Manipur Rifle store room, it was found that only around 900 leather belts (from the 20,000 supply batch) remained by the end of March 2016 .

A second supply 15,000 new leather belts were deposited in the store room of 1 st Manipur Rifle in May the same year, he claimed.

Erendro pointed out that as per the record, the first supply of 20,000 leather belts had been distributed to Manipur police personnel in between 2014 and 2016.He claimed that the committee submitted their enquiry report to the State Government by conducting the enquiry regarding the second supply of 15,000 leather belts kept in the store and not the initial 20,000 belts.

However, the enquiry committee was constituted by an order of the Home Department on June 9, 2017, to carry out inquiry of the initial 20,000 leather belts and not the second batch of 15,000 belts.

Erendro further alleged that it is highly suspected that the committee might have submitted its report with the intention to cover up and protect the real culprits involved in the case and as such submitted a doctored and misleading report implicating the three officers.

What actions will the State Government take against the members of the enquiry committee for submitting such misleading report to the Government regarding the leather belts scam, Erendro asked.

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