Morung Express New
Dimapur | April 15
The Court has modified the members of the 3-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) it reconstituted December 2022 to look into various allegations including prevalence of rampant corruption in the National Rural Health Mission and tasked the team to complete the investigation within six months.
“The newly constituted SIT shall swing into action immediately and complete the investigation within six months,” stated the order issued by the two-Bench judges comprising of Justice Surya Kant and Justice JK Maheshwari on April 6.
The newly constituted SIT members are Roopa M, IGP (CID), Videlalie Zashu, DIGP (Hqr.) and Imnalensa, JAG, SP, Kohima While IGP Roopa was appointed as the as Chairperson of the SIT during the earlier order on December 6, the other two are new members.
The order then mandated the SIT to “into all the allegations and will further consider the CAG Report, and make an endeavour to conclude the further investigation as early as possible and preferably within six months.”
As per the Court’s record, the SLP relates to a ‘Writ Petition in public interest’ filed by a social activist, before the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench in 2013, “seeking a fair and independent probe into various allegations including the alleged rampant corruption prevailing” in NRHM (the NHM) and consequential “embezzlement and misuse of funds provided by the Government of India to the officials in Nagaland State for the implementation of various programmes under NRHM.”
“The High Court, on perusal of these reports etc. felt satisfied with the action taken by the respondent-authorities towards investigation of the allegations and disposed of the said Writ Petition on 16th June, 2014,” it said.
The petitioner then, among others, had requested the HC Bench for a CBI inquiry into the issue alleging ‘embezzlement and siphoning of funds amounting to crores of rupees’ but the High Court disposed of the said Writ Petition stating that it was “satisfied with the action taken by the respondent-authorities towards investigation of the allegations.”
Accordingly, ‘dissatisfied’ with the outcome of the petition, the activist approached the Supreme Court in 2015 with the Special Leave Petition.
