Fuel adulteration: Witnesses questioned again by court

Dimapur, May 2 (EMN): The second cross-examination of witnesses in connection with the June 2016 fuel adulteration racket brought to light by the anti-corruption movement, ACAUT Nagaland was held today at the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Dimapur.
Today’s cross-examination was preceded by two postpostments against the same. Two prosecution witnesses were deposed before the court even as five of the accused persons named in the charge-sheet filed by the Special Investigation Team were also present at the hearing.
This was the second witness examination conducted by the court after the charges were first framed in November last year. The first cross examination was conducted by the court in December last.
Further hearings set by the court had to be rescheduled twice – first when Naga civil organisations called for statewide shutdown in connection with ULB elections, and the second occasion was when the state government employees announced pen-down strike in March this year. According to the public prosecutor (PP), today’s hearing was in connection to the case filed at Diphupar Police station. The next date of hearing for this case has been fixed for May 23.
Two complaints were lodged separately at West PS and Diphupar PS after the ACAUT exposed suspected fuel adulteration activities in Dimapur in June last year. Consequently, the state government formed an SIT to probe the case.
By October last year, the SIT had completed the investigation and submitted charge-sheet at the court of the CJM. Another hearing (cross examination of witnesses) is scheduled for May 3 wherein witnesses in connection to the West Police Station case will depose before the court.
The PP said that a total of 42 prosecution witnesses have been lined up to depose before the court. “If the witnesses turn up as summoned, I think we can wrap up the (cross) examination phase by the end of the year,” the PP said.