Newmai News Network
Itanagar, Aug 24: Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang was arrested in Itanagar today in connection with the Rs.1,000 crore scam of the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Reports said the the Special Investigation Cell (SIC), constituted by the Arunachal Pradesh Government under the supervision of the Gauhati High Court to probe the scam, arrested Apang in Itanagar when the former chief minister had come to depose before the court.
According to sources, the arrest was made after Apang, the longest-serving chief minister in the country after the late Jyoti Basu, gave “unconvincing” answers to a volley of questions besides material evidence against him.
Talking to some media persons today, Superintendent of Police who is also in-charge of Special Investigation Cell MS Chauhan said, “We had summoned Apang on three occasions earlier. He responded to the fourth today. However, none of his answers were convincing. Apang was subsequently arrested on four non-bailable clauses”.
Immediately after Gegong Apang was arrested, he was sent to Lakhimpur town in northeastern Assam to be tried by a special sessions judge. The Lakhimpur court remanded the former chief minister in seven days police custody. The SIC claimed that it had enough material evidence against the former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister.
It is worth noting that a number of politicians, officials and contractors were allegedly involved in the scam. Apang was then the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.
Mention may also be made that the scam was unearthed after two individuals Domin Loya, former general secretary of All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union and Bamang Tago, chief of Arunachal Citizen’s Right, an NGO, had filed a PIL in 2004.