Status report on multi-crore PDS scam submitted to Gauhati High Court

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh government has submitted a status report on multi-crore PDS scam to the Gauhati High Court, saying it has given prosecution sanction against five accused while in case of 13 others the sanction has not been granted.

Additional Advocate-General of the state Kardak Ete yesterday submitted the status report on behalf of the state government. The court had earlier issued arrest warrants against top government officials after they failed to turn up as respondents before it in a PIL.

The Supreme Court had stayed the arrest warrants against the officials who had filed a special leave petition challenging the high court's order.

As per the status report, the state government has given prosecution sanction against five accused in the scam while in the case of 13 others it was not accorded.

On September 2, the high court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Chief Secretary Ramesh Negi, Director General of Police S Nithiandam and Superintendent of Police of 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 officials because of their failure to turn up as respondents in a public interest litigation case.

The PIL was filed by one Khyoda Ram in the Itanagar 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 (PDS) scam.