Northeast Desk, 17th May: The Meghalaya High Court has provided interim relief to outgoing Director General of Police (DGP) Lajja Ram Bishnoi, who faces allegations of tampering with and misusing a vehicle registration number plate. The FIR, which was lodged on May 9, 2024, is claimed by Bishnoi’s counsel to have been filed with malicious intent as retaliation for an inquiry initiated by Bishnoi.
The court has ordered Bishnoi to notify the complainant within two days and ruled that no action should be taken against him under specific sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act until the next hearing. Bishnoi’s legal team argued that the allegations did not meet the legal criteria of the sections cited in the FIR. Additional Advocate General Chullai requested more time to gather further instructions.
In response to these arguments, the court ruled that no coercive action should be taken against Bishnoi under Sections 409, 467, 471, and 120-B of the IPC, as well as Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act, until the next hearing.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has assured that Bishnoi’s retirement will not affect the ongoing investigation. The FIR was lodged by suspended police officer Gabriel K. Iangrai, who accused Bishnoi of abusing his position and tampering with his official vehicle’s registration number plate. The chief minister chose not to comment on the alleged internal feud between the senior police officers, as claimed by Bishnoi.
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