Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 22
The demand for setting up of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) branch office in Nagaland will most likely see the light of day soon, going by the assurances given by the CBI officials to the Nagaland Public Rights Awareness and Action Forum (NPRAAF) at a meeting held recently.
A delegation of the NPRAAF on May 21 met with the DIG and SP of CBI at Guwahati to press for setting up a branch office, possibly in Dimapur. At the same time, a representation was also submitted to the Joint Director, CBI.
Members of the NPRAAF talking to The Morung Express said the CBI is most likely set up its branch office in Dimapur within a few months time. “It is confirmed. A CBI branch office is finally coming up in Nagaland,” a representative of the Forum.
The Forum has also offered logistics to set up the CBI office in Dimapur, from indentifying of suitable land to donating a land for the office if necessary. According to the representative, the CBI had approached the state government for the logistics to set up the branch office but the latter reportedly had not been forthcoming. “The state government has not been helpful in assisting the CBI for opening up a branch office here in Nagaland. So we are offering our service,” the representative on condition of anonymity said.
The reason for the anonymity, the representative said was members of the Forum have been receiving a lot of threatening calls and intimidation from different elements.
The Forum has also suggested to the CBI that the Special Judge designated for Nagaland court should be from outside the state to ensure transparency and free from all influences.
The Forum further suggested roping in an experienced local Advocate with immaculate track record in the profession to be Special Counsel of CBI in order to handle all high profile cases and convict the unscrupulous people for offences committed whether one is big or small without fear or favour.
At present, the CBI Special Court is presided over by the District & Session Judge after the court which was spread all over the State was amalgamated to one Special Judge Court at Dimapur during 2003-2004 for the convenience of the Special Judge who could not travel across the State to adjudicate the cases of CBI.
Since then, there was not much progress of CBI Cases and the situation worsened after the lone local CBI Special Counsel relinquished the post in 2007 and a CBI Special counsel from Imphal was given task for CBI Cases of Nagaland, the Forum stated.
A representation submitted by the Forum to the Joint Director, CBI stated that even though the prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 extends to the whole of India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir, people has wrong concept that the law enforced in other parts of India is not applicable in the State of Nagaland.
Therefore, with the mistaken concept, successive government of the State has gone for a free spree to indulge in rampant corruption, siphoning funds received from the central government for the welfare of the people in hand and gloves with public servants leaving the affairs of the state completely deplorable.
Lamenting that the public are helpless except to make hue and cry through media, the Forum said there has been many occasion the NGO’s raised the issue through print media and brought to light scams in the department of law & justice, road and bridges, irrigation and flood control, medical, industries, food & civil supplies, NSMDC, RD, education, police, finance, many other CSS involving several thousands of crore.
However, being an NGO, it has limitations and cannot persecute and punish the culprit even if prima facie is established. Therefore, to look into all the corrupt practices and to punish the offenders, a CBI branch office is required for timely action of all illegal activities, the Forum pointed out.
The representative also revealed that the Forum will be meeting the Joint Director of CBI by May end to further deliberate on the logistics for setting up the branch office.
Meanwhile, the Forum informed that a case in connection to the Nagaland High Court construction scam was registered by the CBI on May 21, 2018 following the following Guwahati High Court order to submit report within 3 (three) months.
