SHILLONG: Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Meghalaya Police Gabriel K Iangrai was arrested on Wednesday for his involvement in a corruption case in the police department.
Meghalaya AIG Gabriel K Iangrai was arrested from his residence.
According to reports, a high-level inquiry exposed the scam within the Meghalaya Police department in relation to the procurement of vehicles. Discrepancies were also reportedly noted while issuing fuel coupons.
The alleged scam reportedly was exposed by an internal probe led by Meghalaya’s additional inspector general of police (IGP), Mukesh Kumar Singh.
The probe team investigated the alleged irregularities and misuse in the procurement of vehicles and use of fuel coupons.
A report by the team stated that there have been unofficial procurement, non-registration of 29 vehicles, discrepancies in documents, questionable allotment and purchase of cheaper models against the sanction of expensive variants by the assistant inspector general (AIG) of Meghalaya police, Gabriel K Iangrai, a Meghalaya Police Service (MPS) officer.
The report also claimed that delivery of most of the vehicles procured by Meghalaya police headquarters under various heads was personally managed by the AIGP through numerous people known to him.
The vehicles were in the personal custody of AIGP Iangrai and the fuel coupons were issued by him directly without any sanctioning from a competent authority, the report revealed.
“These vehicles were then taken directly on his orders to either Police Officer Mess or MPRO complex where they were kept and the keys of all these vehicles were kept in his official residence. Their Statement also reveals a lot of crucial facts which point at glaring mismanagement and misuse of power by AIGP (A),” the report said.
The inquiry report also alleged that unregistered vehicles were often used by Iangrai for his personal use without prior sanction from police headquarters.
“No log books were ever maintained for these vehicles even though POL/DOL coupons were issued by AIG (A) himself on a regular basis,” the report said.
“Misappropriation of government funds cannot be ruled out,” it further added.
The 29 vehicles that were in the personal custody of Iangrai before April 2022 without orders from authority include 4 Mahindra Scorpios, 7 Mahindra Boleros, 1 Mahindra Bolero Camper, 1 Mahindra KUV 100, 2 Mahindra Thars, 2 Maruti Eeco cars, 5 Bajaj Pulsar 150 cc, 2 Yamaha Scooties (125 cc), 5 TVS bikes (110cc).
Moreover, the probe team reportedly also found that the accused AIGP was holding 1 truck from the 4th MLP Battalion, which on paper has been shown as attached to police headquarters.
“During the inquiry, the driver of this truck said it has been continuously used for the past year for the personal work of Iangrai. This truck was used to ferry construction materials to his new residential site. No log book was maintained for this vehicle and the fuel coupon for all the transportation of personal goods was issued by him,” the report said.
“An audit was conducted on the inventory of Central Motor Workshop where it was found that a lot of manipulations have taken place for the personal whims and fancies of one officer even when senior police officers in Police Headquarters and other units were suffering for not having better vehicles,” the report further added.
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