SHILLONG:
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, on April 1, said that though he has neither seen, nor received any reports of contraband being smuggled in Army trucks, the government will do everything on its part to curb the grave menace.
“Every step that has to be taken to ensure this menace is brought under control and the government will do what is necessary,” Sangma said, reacting to the Meghalaya High Court’s recent directive to conduct surprise checks on Army vehicles following allegations of drugs being trafficked in them.
On March 30, the order was passed by the division bench while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by former Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR), M Kharkongor.
During the hearing, the Amicus Curiae had forwarded details of certain places where the drug menace is prevalent, including certain localities of Shillong. The details submitted also stated that since Meghalaya falls in the transit route of drugs coming from a “neighbouring country”, there is a modus operandi which is being followed and, quite alarmingly, recently, an Army Major from Imphal was implicated for facilitating the transit of drugs.
“Unbelievable though such an allegation is, it has to be noticed nonetheless that according to the relevant inmate, drugs are sometimes transported in army trucks, which are generally immune from checking,” it said.
The bench directed that a copy of the order be reached to the General-Officer Commanding, 101 Area and also to the Director-General, Assam Rifles to verify the position and take immediate remedial action.
“If what is reported is true, there must also be intelligence reports received by the state in such regard and the Chief Secretary should coordinate with, inter alia, the Army and Assam Rifles, both to make the highest officials aware of the problem and for immediate action being taken,” it said.
The bench had further directed that “it may also do well for teams of flying army checkers to be deployed along the route to make surprise checks on Army vehicles which are otherwise not subjected to checks by civilian personnel.”