Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Nov 5: The Arunachal Pradesh Tribal Movement (APTM) and the Arunachal Government Property Protection Forum (AGPPF) have approached the High Court seeking a time-bound and independent investigation into the alleged misappropriation of Rs 272.13 crore in the state Fisheries Department.
Addressing media persons at the Arunachal Press Club here on Thursday, legal adviser to the organisations Tai Shiva said the High Court had admitted their Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Itanagar, to submit status reports on two FIRs registered in connection with the alleged financial irregularities.
Shiva said the PIL was filed by APTM president Likha Tolum and AGPPF president Bamang Taming, seeking directions for an independent investigation into the alleged misappropriation and recovery of public funds.
He alleged that the cases involve officials of the Directorate of Fisheries and the District Fisheries Development Office (DFDO), Ziro. Despite the registration of an FIR in 2018, he claimed, the investigation had made little progress over the past eight years.
He further alleged that a second FIR, registered more than two years ago, had not resulted in the filing of a chargesheet or recovery of the allegedly misappropriated funds. He also claimed that the officials concerned had neither been suspended nor faced departmental inquiries.
Shiva further alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had not registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) or initiated proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, despite receiving a complaint on June 30, 2026.
He said several memorandums, legal notices, applications seeking prosecution sanction and representations submitted between June and July this year had also failed to elicit a response.
Stating that the organisations had approached the High Court after the alleged lack of progress in the investigations, Shiva said the court, through an order dated November 3, directed the ACB to furnish status reports on both FIRs by December 3.