Retired IAS remanded on another corruption charge
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 20 2019:
Retired IAS Officer A Tombikanta has been remanded into the custody of Vigilance and Anti Corruption PS for 6 days in connection with alleged fund misappropriation in the process of awarding land compensation for a girls hostel which was affected in the expansion of Trans-Asian highway from Pallel to Moreh bazaar.
Former DC Tengnoupal A Tombikanta s/o (L) Kanglenjao of Moidangpok was formally arrested from Manipur Central Jail Sajiwa yesterday by a team of Vigilance and Anti Corruption police taking permission from the Court concerned in connection with the case registered against him under Prevention of Corruption Act.
Tombikanta was produced before the Court of Special Judge, Prevention of Corruption Imphal West along with a prayer for 6 days police custody remand and the IO of the case, through the APP, submitted that Tombikanta, while working as the DC of Tengnoupal, had transferred a sum of Rs 1,55,4136 from the joint account of CALA and Project Manager, NHIDCL, to his current account on August 20 1ast year through RTGS as compensation for the girls hostel building at Tengnoupal which was affectedby the expansion of Trans-Asian Highway from Pallel to Moreh bazaar, taken up by NHIDCL, instead of Rs 77,71,118 which is the compensation amount fixed by the authority concerned.
The IO continued that out of the amount transferred, Tombikanta withdrew Rs 1,50,50,000 on August 24 last year for his personal purposes and after a few days, he deposited back the same amount and then transferred it through cheques to one Ch Alex Kom, special contractor, on the pretext of reconstruction of the affected girls' hostel.
Further, the then DC (Tombikanta) awarded three work orders for reconstruction of the girl's hostel, sanitary block and IEI amounting to Rs 1, 55, 42,236 to Alex Kom without inviting any tender or informing DRDA, Chandel.
The IO submitted that on further checking of the subsidiary cash book maintained by the DC Office, Tengnoupal, it was found that the fund which was payable to the land owner/ beneficiary in connection with the standing property of the girls hostel was reflected to have been transferred through RTGS to M/ S Alex Kom on August 20 for construction of the hostel at Tengnoupal and as per the statement of Tombikanta, he had transferred Rs 1,00,00,000 on September 17 last year and Rs 50,00,000 on September 24 (both by cheque) to Alex Kom's account and not through RTGS as reflected in the cash book.
It was further alleged that Tombikanta, in collusion with others, had withdrawn Government money amounting to Rs 1,50,00,000 and misappropriated the same while he was working as the DC Tengnoupal.
The IO submitted that Tombikanta had also admitted to the charges levelled against him during interrogation and as such, prayed for remanding the former DC into police custody till July 25.The Court, after going through the case records and the prayer, remanded Tombikanta in police custody for six days (till July 25) .