The Gauhati High Court has directed the CBI to conduct an inquiry into allegations of misappropriation of public money and slow rate of construction work of the New High Court Complex at Kohima.
Work at the complex had started in 2007 and is yet to to be completed.
The Gauhati High Court had issued the notice to the respondent, Nagland government, after taking note of a news article that appeared in 'The Morung Express', an English daily published from Dimapur. The news article said that the foundation stone for the Nagaland High Court was laid at Meriema in 2007 and till date it has not been completed.
The division bench of Chief Justice Ajit Singh and Justice Prasanta Kumar Deka on May 2 directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations and submit a report within three months to the registrar general of the High Court.
The court said that after hearing the counsel for the parties and perusing the records, it has found that the allegations made in the news item and the letter petition have some basis.
"There is no denial of the fact that the new High Court complex at Nagaland is yet to be completed and it is an admitted fact that only 35 per cent of the work has been completed till date," the bench said.
The foundation stone for the new court complex was laid way back in 2007 and "It is highly surprising to find that the progress of the work is pitiable during the last 10 years. At the same time, Rs 52.63 crore have already been withdrawn for the said purpose," the bench said.
"If the Central Bureau of Investigation is of the view that there is any material to support the allegations, it will take action as per law by registering FIR etc and the state government shall fully co-operate with the investigation", it said.
The bench directed the CBI director to depute an officer to immediately collect all the relevant records from the Nagaland government related to the PIL.
Respondent Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Department of Justice and Law, in the affidavit-in-opposition, said that as per the detailed project report, the total project cost was Rs 161,10,72,200 based on Nagaland Public Works Department Schedule of Rates, 2010.
Due to escalation of price if the DPR is revised as per NPWD SoR 2016, the total project cost will become more than Rs 200 crore, the affidavit added.
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