Dimapur, June 15 (EMN): The Business Association of Nagas (BAN) has demanded thorough investigation into the alleged fraud committed by former Nagaland cop and alleged wheel-spinner MKR Pillai besides the officials who have been associated with him in one way or the other.
The BAN issued a press release on Thursday.
The organisation appreciated the Income Tax (IT) authorities raiding firms of MKR Pillai in Kerala and Karnataka, thousands of kilometres away from Nagaland. It noted the level of efficiency the department carried out the raids.
In the light of the event, the BAN seriously questioned the IT department in Nagaland “under whose nose all this siphoning of public money was taking place for decades.”
The entire nation is shocked and horrified at the fraud of Pillai, the BAN stated. The statement lashed out at the Nagaland police chief: ‘The BAN is also totally bemused and sickened by the fact that police head quarter (PHQ) is still under the spell of Pillai. The DGP of police Mr. Doungel, IPS still trying to shield Pillai by praising him as “quite competent and helpful” and having “good contacts in the Union home ministry which made it easier to get works for the department done” (local dailies) such statement is a total disgrace and insult to the sentiments of People of Nagaland.’ The BAN had a word for officers who believe that “if Pillai is removed the entire department will be badly affected.”
Such sentiments, the organisation stated, is not only an insult to the police fraternity but an insult to intelligence of entire people of Nagaland. ‘Therefore, the BAN request all those police officers who thinks Pillai is invincible to Nagaland police to resign as there are thousands of capable educated unemployed youth whose ability and intelligence are next to none,’ the entrepreneurs stated.
The businesspeople were galled that even after a week “the PHQ is still clueless about the details of Police truck lodged at Pillai’s home and wonders how could the department remain so inefficient while the entire nation is keeping an eye on the department.”
Further, the BAN noted that the Suo Moto case taken up by the Vigilance Commission of Nagaland only on the issue of appointment of Pillai as the consultant. It is ‘totally unsatisfactory and nothing but just an eye wash and wonders how could an agency which gave the clean chit to a person for President medal for Meritorious service probe him?’
The BAN has questioned the Vigilance Commission why probe was not being undertaken on the entire gamut of his “in-service extension for four years bending police service rule, the shady dealing of awarding contracts and supplies under the table without flouting NIT involving thousands of crores in Police MT branch to which he is consultant, his appointment as a consultant of MTO without having the prerequisite qualification in motor vehicle engineering.”
The BAN has demanded that the IT department reopen the case where Rajinder Pillai, retired constable Anil Kumar, and Sashi Kumar were detained on July 10, 2011, at Kolkata airport allegedly with Rs.92 lakh in cash after they landed on a flight from Dimapur.
“It is to be noted that Mr. Anil ran a workshop in Dimapur which was the approved firm of a department of police and was a close associate of Pillai who was at the helms of affairs of MT branch at PHQ (news agencies) and Shashi Kumar is the owner of Popular Bakery while G. K Rengma has claimed that he owns popular bakery branch located at Pillai building at Kohima at the same time having many business partnerships with Pillai.”
The organisation has appealed to the governor of Nagaland to “immediately intervene” and ensure that the President Medal for Meritorious Service awarded to Pillai is scrapped. He is appealed to ‘salvage Nagaland police’s image and the Naga people.’
The BAN has demanded that ‘over and above IT Investigation,’ a thorough probe should be conducted by independent agencies or judicial commission to probe the case “holistically” as it ‘involves criminal aspects.’
These are the demands the entrepreneurs have listed: Investigation against the people involved in recommending President Medal for Meritorious service in 2005 to Pillai; investigation into violation of service rules for Pillai to promote him to Additional Superintendent of Police in 2010 “when he was to due to retire in 2006 as per service rule…”; investigation into how many trips Nagaland police trucks made ‘to siphon cash and gold (as put up in local dailies)’; under whose charge, the truck parked at Pillai’s residence was ordered;
Further, the Ban demanded investigation of Tep Rengma who is “Board of Directors of many of Pillai’s Benami businesses (local dailies).All his businesses, bank accounts, assets should be thoroughly investigated, the press release stated.
The list included more: G. K Rengma who has confessed on record that he has many business partnerships with Pillai (News 18). His business, bank accounts, and assets should be thoroughly investigated, the BAN stated.
‘Contract and supplies worth thousands of crores have been awarded under-table without NIT by the police department to individual thereby benefitting individuals and firms under Benami. Investigate the misappropriations of Police modernisation fund.’
