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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Centre asks Assam govt to take action against officer over illegal forest land use
Guwahati: The union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) has directed the Assam government to take action against a senior state official for allegedly allowing illegal construction inside a reserve forest in Hailakandi district, in violation of provisions under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. Yadava had approved the construction of the second commando battalion of Assam Police in October 2021. (HT File Photo) MK Yadava, who was the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), head of forest force (HoFF), and special chief secretary (forests) of the Assam government, was accused of permitting the diversion of 11.5 hectares of land inside Damchera Inner Line Reserve Forest in Assam for the construction of a commando battalion, without obtaining prior permission from the Centre. Yadava had approved the construction of the second commando battalion of Assam Police in October 2021. The Shillong-based regional office of MoEFCC issued a letter to the Assam government on May 25 stating, 'MK Yadava, the then PCCF and HoFF, Assam, had no authority to grant permission for clearing the forest land for non-forest activity without the prior permission of central government.' Directing the state government to submit a report on action taken regarding litigations pending before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the letter further stated, 'Government of Assam is hereby authorised to take legal action against the offender and furnish an action taken a period of 45 days.' The letter, written by Deputy Inspector General of Forests (Central) Pee Lee Ete, noted that the diversion was allowed without prior approval, and 'for conservation and protection of not legally tenable.' HT has seen a copy of the letter. The letter explained that while the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam permits the construction of bare minimum operational buildings for forest management—such as check gates, single-lane untarred roads, and huts for guards—without prior permission from the Centre, approval is required for large structures that could impact conservation. A MoEFCC team that inspected the area found that construction was ongoing in full swing, with permanent structures covering a plinth area of around 30,000 square metres being built over 11.5 hectares, the letter said. Officials from the Assam Police Housing Corporation informed the team that around 50% of construction for some of the proposed battalion buildings had already been completed. 'The activities amount to gross violation of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam and rules, guidelines and notifications framed thereunder, and it is also against the legal principles framed by the courts and tribunals,' the letter read. Also Read: NGT directs Assam govt to clear 4200 ha of encroached forest land in Kamrup (M) It added that the submissions given by Yadava and the Assam government in response to the show-cause notices issued by MoEFCC were 'not satisfactory' and 'failed to prove not guilty.' The Assam government has not taken any action against Yadava so far, and the 45-day deadline given by MoEFCC to take action and submit a report will expire on July 13, an official requesting anonymity said. The letter also noted that the offence is punishable under Sections 3A and 3B of the Van (Sanrakshan and Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, read with Rule 15(3) of the Van (Sanrakshan and Samvardhan) Rules, 2023. Violation of the Act can result in imprisonment for a maximum period of 15 days.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Hans India
CBI books ex-SBI branch manager in Assam for illegal assets of Rs 80 lakh
The CBI has booked a former manager of the State Bank of India branch in Assam for possessing allegedly illegal assets worth over Rs 80 lakh, an official said on Monday. Pinku Kumar, former Branch Manager, SBI, Ramkrishnanagar Branch, Karimganj, is also facing a separate investigation over his alleged collusion in a multi-crore scam involving sanction of loans using forged documents, the official said. CBI's Shillong-based Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) registered the latest Disproportionate Assets case against Pinku Kumar on June 27 after receiving a complaint from a preliminary investigator. The complaint alleged commission of criminal misconduct by Pinku Kumar while intentionally enriching himself illicitly, during the check period from April 1, 2019 to March 27, 2025. During this period, he was found in possession of pecuniary resources/property, disproportionate to his known sources of income which he cannot satisfactorily account for, to the tune of Rs 99.20 lakh -(81.84 per cent DA), said the CBI FIR filed against the former bank manager. Taking note of the preliminary probe conducted in the matter of criminal misconduct, the CBI's FIR said, 'The facts mentioned in the aforesaid complaint, prima facie, reveal commission of congnizable offences, punishable under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended 2018) on the part of Pinku Kumar.' Section 13 of the Act defines various forms of criminal misconduct by public servants. These include actions like abusing their position, misappropriating property, or possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. Earlier in March, the CBI booked Pinku Kumar twice in separate corruption cases naming two brokers Sumen Paul and Jadab Paul, along with the former, in each of the cases. Raids conducted by the federal agency in these two cases led to seizure of 481 grams of gold, 11.11 gram of diamond-studded jewellery and 1,092 gram silver. The CBI investigation showed that the former bank manager conspired with the two brokers and allegedly approved loans base on forged papers, leading to a loss of crores of rupees to the SBI.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
IIRF '25: MLCU tops among private varsities in Meghalaya
Shillong: The Shillong-based Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU) has been ranked the first in Meghalaya, second in the northeast and 62nd in India among private universities in the 2025 India Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF), conducted by Education Post. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "With this, MLCU has emerged as the highest-ranked private university in Northeast India, placing it firmly among the top 100 universities nationwide. This recognition reflects the university's growing reputation for academic excellence, innovation, and its commitment to producing graduates aligned with workforce needs," a statement issued by the varsity said on Monday. "The IIRF 2025 rankings are based on a comprehensive assessment across parameters such as academic strength, research output, industry engagement, placement performance and overall institutional perception. Over 2,500 institutions, including more than 500 private universities, were evaluated nationwide," the statement said.
India Today
10-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Racist hate after Meghalaya honeymoon murder: Northeast people demand apology
The jumping to conclusions had abominable racist rhetoric in this case. While police in Meghalaya were still investigating the murder of a man on his honeymoon and searching for his missing wife, some people had pronounced the people of the Northeast guilty. Without a shred of evidence, and defying logic, they used crass and uncivilised language for the Northeast of India and its people, who, on a regular basis, face racial discrimination. The dehumanising of the tribal people and the Northeasterners in general in a heinous murder case was a new low. After it became clear that it was the wife who had plotted the murder and carried it out with some hitmen, people from the Northeast are hitting back at the hatemongers, and seeking an cycle of racial toxicity started after the body of Raja Raghuvanshi, a man from Indore, was discovered in a gorge in the Cherrapunji area of Meghalaya and his wife, Sonam, went missing on June 2. The honeymooning couple, who reached the Northeast state on May 20, were last seen together on May the murder, many people made racial remarks against the tribes in Meghalaya and also the entire Northeast. They said travelling to Meghalaya was unsafe. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said his government and the police would pursue the case as the state had been "defamed"."We will do whatever it takes. Our government and state have been defamed (even though) none of the accused are from Meghalaya," he said, according to an NDTV Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (CoMSO), a prominent Shillong-based civil society group, has demanded a public apology from Sonam Raghuvanshi's family. Its chairman, Roy Kupar Synrem, criticised the family for making unfounded claims against the Meghalaya government and police, saying their remarks unfairly targeted and discredited local statements went beyond grief and bordered on deliberate misinformation. Now that the truth is emerging, they must apologise — not just to the government and police, but to every citizen of Meghalaya who was unfairly maligned," Synrem and Sonam were last seen checking out of their homestay on May 23. They got married on May 16 days of mystery, Sonam was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur on June 9 (Monday).The primary investigation revealed it to be an alleged case of contract killing, as the woman was having an affair with a man who was also among those REMARKS AFTER INDORE MAN'S HONEYMOON MURDERAs the case unfolded, many on social media blamed Meghalaya and the northeast for the death of posts below are being cited to just give a sample of the hatred and racial bigotry. There are some which are far worse."NE is full of ooga booga jungalees, never visit there. Normies who fall for sweet NE propaganda end up getting f$@#*d like this. Only exception is Arunachal and Sikkim," wrote one person."That's why Northeast also faces discrimination in other parts of India. Many gangs are active in the northeast state who kill people for money," wrote another person on X, revealing how the racist mindset normalises racial went to the extreme of suggesting that the people of the region should be "eliminated"."Northeast tribals are savages, only eliminating is the solution," said another others made racist remarks and went so far as to call northeastern people "savages, cannibal and human traffickers".After Sonam's arrest, as it became clear that no one from the Northeast had anything to do with the murder of Raja Raghuvanshi, the people of the region are seeking an apology for the racist remarks against RAGHUVANSHI CASE: PEOPLE FROM NORTHEAST SEEK APOLOGY"Indore Couple Case: Just a few days back, many defamed, demeaned Northeast & Meghalaya specifically after the couple went missing. Later the husband's body was found," shared a person from Northeast on listed how the state, which is a tourist destination because of the living root bridges, the colonial charm of Shillong, and the scenic beauty of places like Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, had been defamed for being unsafe and for "tantric magic". They demanded an apology."Unsafe, Tantric Magic, Locals being dangerous, and what not? All such commentators today must apologise. This not only hampered the Northeast's image but also the tourism economy as a whole. Sonam (wife) hired three assailants to kill her husband during their honeymoon in Meghalaya's Sohra."advertisementOthers said it wasn't just Meghalaya, but other Northeast states were also villified."Not just Meghalaya, entire NE tribals were dragged in. They were calling us savages, cannibals, human traffickers and what not. Disgusting people!" shared a person on people called out knee-jerk reactions in such cases, cautioning how an entire region was at the receiving end of a hate campaign."A few days ago, many blamed the Northeast for a honeymoon tragedy in Meghalaya, calling it unsafe, even 'tantric.' Today, it turns out the wife has been arrested for her husband's murder. Let's not vilify an entire region before knowing the truth.""Everyone who blamed Meghalaya and Northeast India without knowing the truth, defamed the state, affected tourism, spread hate, owes a written apology," wrote another the government is trying to bring the Northeast region closer, and tourists are travelling there in hordes to warm hospitality, some hatemongers end up defaming an entire state and region without even waiting for any evidence. This reveals that there is a change in mindset when it comes to the Northeast region of India. A very good beginning would be to incorporate more information on the region in the school Watch
Hindustan Times
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Meghalaya civil society group seeks apology from Sonam's family for 'tarnishing' state's image
Shillong, Influential Shillong-based civil society group CoMSO on Monday demanded an apology from the family of Sonam, who was arrested in the murder case of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi, alleging that they defamed the people of Meghalaya and tried to tarnish the image of a state dependent on tourism. The Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations chairman Roy Kupar Synrem alleged that Sonam's family made calculated efforts to politicise a personal tragedy, exploit the press, and generate anti-Meghalaya sentiments nationwide. He also renewed the demand for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit system, maintaining that it would help in keeping a tab on people entering the state and regulate the flow of tourists, which would ensure greater security. Police nabbed five people, including Sonam, in the murder of Raghuvanshi, who was killed while honeymooning in Sohra in the East Khasi Hills district. Raghuvanshi and his wife went missing on May 23. His body was found in a gorge on June 2, while a search for his wife was underway. Sonam emerged in the early hours in UP's Ghazipur and surrendered before the police as the investigators nabbed the others allegedly involved in the crime that shook the nation. Expressing deep distress over attempts to tarnish the image of the people of the state, Synrem said, "We also renew our constitutional, legal, and moral demand for the immediate implementation of the Inner Line Permit system in Meghalaya. The ILP is not merely a regulatory mechanism, a framework that would have pre-empted the chaos, confusion, and defamation that engulfed our state over the past few weeks." The ILP system, if implemented, would require visitors to obtain a permit before entering the state. Synrem lauded the Meghalaya Police for cracking the honeymoon murder case, stating that they worked with unwavering discipline and compassion. He said the investigation proved that the incident was a "personal crime" and not a communal failing, and that Sohra is not a bad destination for a honeymoon. Synrem criticised Sonam's family for making unfounded allegations, "publicly defaming" the dignity of the government and the communities of Meghalaya. "Their actions went beyond grieving. They made calculated efforts to politicise a personal tragedy, exploit media channels, and generate anti-Meghalaya sentiments nationwide," he alleged. "Now that the narratives have collapsed under the weight of facts, they must publicly apologise to the Government of Meghalaya, the Meghalaya Police, the local community of Sohra, and to every citizen whose name was so casually dragged through the mud," he said. Claiming that her daughter was "100 per cent innocent", Somam's father, Devi Singh Raghuvanshi, demanded a probe by the CBI into the case. "The Meghalaya Police are giving false statements about my daughter because the state government's image is getting tarnished due to Raja Raghuvanshi's murder case," he alleged. He further claimed that the Meghalaya Police have no evidence against his daughter that she gave a contract to get her husband killed. Synrem said, "The people of Meghalaya did not attack any outsider. There was no communal violence. There was no retribution. Our citizens cooperated with the police. They provided information. They offered shelter and supplies to search teams and even opened their homes and churches to facilitate the operation."
