Justice Lanusungkum Jamir of the High Court of Manipur on Tuesday passed an interim order with a direction that the letter issued by the Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department, Manipur on December 13, 2021 to Nungba AC BJP candidate Dinganglung Gangmei alias Dipu Gangmei cannot be treated as an integrity certificate.
A social worker, Alan Kamei Aka Majalan Kamei, had filed a petition before the High Court of Manipur against Kakching DC Dinganglung Gangmei alias Dipu, the then Chief Executive Officer of Tamenglong, appealing to cancel the vigilance integrity certificate issued by Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department, Government of Manipur.
In the petition, Kamei stated that the vigilance integrity certificate was issued against an order passed by the court. It has also failed to run in consonance with provision established under the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, the petition stated.
The superintendent of police, Vigilance, Manipur had failed to consider the report lodged by Alan Kamei (the petitioner) under which a vigilance inquiry against Dipu Gangmei was already set forth in the Vigilance case at the time of issuing the vigilance integrity certificate in the favour of Dipu Gangmei, the petition stated.
Alan Kamei had complaint against Dipu Gangmei to the Vigilance SP on April 16, 2021 alleging that Gangmei was serving as the Chief Executive Officer of ADC, Tamenglong and in connivance with the other ADC members, certain funds amounting to several crores sanctioned to Tamenglong district under 1st Finance Commission were misappropriated.
Kamei also alleged that Dipu, by clouting his authority, had illegally awarded projects under 14th Finance Commission to bogus work agencies and maliciously included his name, Alan Kamei, as one of the work agencies without his knowledge and consent.
It also alleged that Dipu Gangmei, in connivance with ADC members, misappropriated a sumptuous amount of Rs 13 lakh by implicating Alan Kamei as work agency corresponding to three works namely development or maintenance of cremation ground amounting to Rs 10 lakh; Construction of drainage or water storm drainage amounting to Rs 3 lakh.
In accordance with the complaint of Alan Kamei, SP Vigilance had initiated a preliminary inquiry under the Vigilance case against Dipu Gangmei. Since no development or progress was shown in regards to the complaint, Alan Kamei on April 16, 2021, issued a reminder and also filed complaint before Manipur Lokayukta for misappropriation of public funds to the tune of Rs 18,02,30,072, sanctioned under the 14th Finance Commission 2017 to 2018 for Tamenglong district.
Following that, the government of Manipur, Department of Personnel and Administration Reforms issued a letter on November 27, 2019 seeking information whether any government dues to be recovered from the director of Vigilance. But after the Director of Vigilance failed to proceed with inquiry after due registration of the case, Alan Kamei approached the High Court of Manipur with a prayer for completion of preliminary inquiry promptly and without further delay as is bound in law. And to restrain the Commissioner of Vigilance from issuing vigilance integrity certificates in favour of Dipu Gangmei.
The case was pending in the High Court of Manipur for an interim order. However, the Director of Vigilance issued a vigilance integrity certificate in favour of Dipu Gangmei on December 10, 2021, the petition said.
Dipu Gangmei filed an affidavit, opposing and raising the ground of maintainability of the petition due to non-joinder of the party (state of Manipur). It was stated that the affidavit in opposing that the petition was not maintainable for suppression of material facts, that is non-disclosure of complaint filed before the Manipur Lokayukta.
As per the petition, the chief secretary of Manipur; commissioner of Vigilance Manipur; director of Vigilance Manipur; SP Vigilance Manipur were involved as respondents of the petition.
It may also be mentioned that the Manipur Lokayukta on January 7, 2022 stated that there exists prima facie case for investigation and passed directions by invoking powers under section 20 (3) (a)and 28 of Manipur Lokayukta Act, 2014.
The Manipur Lokayukta recommended to recruit an IPS officer to investigate the case and that the investigation should be complete within six months.
