PDS scam: Aruchal submits status report to HC

From our correspondent

Itagar, Sept 29: Aruchal Pradesh has submitted the status report on multi-crore PDS scam to the Gauhati High Court on Monday. Additiol Advocate General of the state submitted the status report on behalf of the state government in response to the court’s arrest warrant issued against top government officials, highly placed sources informed here today. As per the status report the state government has given prosecution sanction against five accused in the scam while 13 others were not given prosecution sanction, the sources added.

On September 2 last, the high court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against chief secretary Ramesh Negi, director-general of police S. Nithiandam and the superintendent of police of the vigilance special investigation cell R Mompa. The warrants were issued by a division bench of the court comprising acting Chief Justice K Sreedhar Rao and Justice P K Saikia against the top officials because of their failure to turn up as respondents for a public interest litigation case filed by one Khyoda Ram in the Itagar Bench of Gauhati High Court against the state in 2013 seeking the details of officers prosecuted in the Rs 1,000-crore public distribution system scam.

Sources said that the arrest orders were issued “without considering the affidavits of the respondents” which were given earlier. At the time of the order on September 2, the Gauhati High Court Bar Association’s ban on the acting Chief Justice’s court was in place. It was lifted on September 4 after the court constituted a committee to redress their grievances. Negi and the other respondents filed a special leave petition (SLP) and the matter was listed on September 7 at the Supreme Court which stayed the non-bailable warrant.