Shillong, Aug 12: The Meghalaya High Court has fixed August 29 for further hearing of multiple criminal petitions seeking to quash proceedings in the 2009 education job scam case, which involves Cabinet Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh among the accused.
The petitions, partially heard on Monday by a bench led by Chief Justice I.P. Mukerji, stem from alleged irregularities in the recruitment of assistant teachers in government lower primary schools during 2008–09.
The CBI has accused the defendants of manipulating examination result sheets through interpolation, forgery, and fabrication to favour specific candidates.
In earlier proceedings, the High Court directed that all interim orders would remain in force until the applications are decided. The court had also asked the Special Judge (CBI) in April to defer further witness examination to allow consideration of a plea under Section 482 of the CrPC to quash the charges.
Of the 492 witnesses originally proposed by the prosecution, 317 have been dropped and six added, with the court cautioning that the reduction must not weaken the evidence. So far, 28 witnesses have testified.
