Lalremsanga issues legal notice to Mukul; demands unconditional apology for ‘drug kingpin’ statement

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 22: Legal counsel representing Henry Lalremsanga, the Chairman of 2B’s Group of Companies, K Kharmawphlang today issued a legal notice to former chief minister Mukul Sangma demanding him to tender an unconditional apology within 7 days for incorrectly labelling Lalremsanga as a ‘drug kingpin’.

The notice was in response to the statements made by Mukul on September 19 and 20.

The legal notice demanded the former chief minister to tender an unconditional apology and a retraction of the false and malicious statements within 7 days of the receipt of this notice.

It also demanded an immediate halt to making or publishing any more false and defamatory remarks against Lalremsanga and a payment of Rs 20 crore within 7 days of the receipt of this notice as compensation for injury to Lalremsanga’s reputation.

“Failure to comply with the stated demands within the stipulated time will compel Mr Lalremsanga to pursue both criminal and civil legal actions, holding the perpetrators accountable for their defamatory statements,” the notice said.

It said, “This legal notice serves as a final opportunity for reparation for the damage caused to Mr Lalremsanga’s reputation. It is highlighted that a person in public life is expected to exercise a degree of restraint while making public speeches, as underscored by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”

It said Henry Lalremsanga, through this notice, endeavours to seek rightful justice against the falsehoods disseminated about him, and earnestly hopes for swift rectification and due closure to this distressing ordeal.

The legal notice also served to address the unfounded accusations and character attacks made against Lalremsanga during a State Assembly session and subsequent media talks.

“These damaging allegations have been widely circulated, causing considerable harm to Lalremsanga’s personal and professional reputation.

Lalremsanga was wrongfully arrested in 2013 in relation to a seizure of medical supplies, despite holding a valid license for such supplies. He was discharged by the Special Court, ND & PS Act, Patiala House Court, New Delhi in 2018, citing a lack of evidence of any offence committed,” it said.

“The recent defamatory statements, void of factual basis, have caused significant distress to Lalremsanga, his family, and the businesses he oversees. These statements have also indirectly tarnished the image of the Mizo community,” it added.

Legal counsel for Lalremsanga contended that the ill-conceived remarks are not only detrimental but are made with deliberate intentions to gain political mileage, thereby knowingly causing harm to his reputation. It was further stressed that these baseless allegations have resulted in irreversible damages, impacting long-standing business relationships and causing extreme mental and emotional distress to Lalremsanga and his family.

Conrad terms allegations as ‘ridiculous’

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 19: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today termed the allegation of former chief minister Mukul Sangma over a photograph of him and a person, who was arrested as kingpin in a drug haul in Mizoram, as the most ridiculous way of proving anything.

Mukul had accused the chief minister of having a close association with a drug kingpin from Mizoram while producing a photograph of Conrad, his wife and Henry Lalremsanga, who was arrested on April 23, 2013, in connection with the seizure of Rs six crore worth banned pseudoephedrine tablets.

The serious allegation was made in the Assembly during a discussion on a motion related to the drug menace in the State.

“It is sad that a person of his (Mukul) level brought in a photograph and just jumped to a conclusion. Connecting people based on a photograph of two people being clicked together I think in today’s world, it is the most ridiculous way of proving anything. So I have no comment to say about that,” Conrad told reporters.

Stating that he clicked pictures with millions of people being a public figure, he said, “I meet and I sit and I click pictures with millions of people. Even while walking in the street, somebody will stop me, I never say no, because we are public figures.”

“I think connecting two individuals’ activities based on and coming to a conclusion based on a photograph I think is the most illogical conclusion that anybody can jump to,” Conrad said while adding “It has to be based on evidence and on proof of what activities were taking place. I have no clue number one, what these activities were and I know many people and individuals who are there and as public figures, we need to talk to everybody.”

“So does the court case or whatever police case that was filed that have Conrad Sangma’s name in it? I think that is the precise question. Whether we were called for any kind of discussion on it or any kind of case was filed against us, I think that is the basis on which a statement of this level by a person of his stature should be made,” he added.

The chief minister said he would act on the matter as per the rules and procedures that are there in the House.

“As per rule, whatever the ruled in procedure is there in the house, whatever the honourable speaker has mentioned accordingly we will take it but as I said this nothing to react for my side when there is no basis on which these kinds of talks have been made,” he said.

Mukul questions govt action against students

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 15: Opposition AITC leader and former chief minister Dr Mukul Sangma today slammed the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government for allegedly booking the students, who were arrested in the July 24-Tura violence, under the relevant section of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which deals with terrorists and members of the banned organizations.

Speaking to reporters, Sangma said the reaction of the authorities with regards to the incident was more like a pre-planned modus operandi.

“You are seeing a government, who have the audacity to allow young boys and students, who are pursuing their academic careers to be booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which are for the terrorists and members of the banned organizations,” he said.

“This indicates that the government instead of ensuring justice is becoming the main perpetrator of crime. It is a crime. If somebody is implicated falsely just to hide their own failures, is it not a crime?” Sangma asked.

Condemning the government’s action, the former chief minister said the government is trying to destroy the career of these young boys.

“Everybody’s career is important. Conrad Sangma’s career is also as important so also the career of those young boys, who are pursuing their courses of study. Maybe that boy arrested is the only boy who has reached this far in pursuing their academic career, maybe he is the only lone educated boy coming up and he might have dreams to contribute to the society. So these are something which reflects the mindset of the people in power and I condemn them,” he said while adding “This mindset is highly condemnable. Therefore, these issues need to be discussed in the August house. Will we get a chance? They will say it is subjudice so the media has to ask them are these boys’ terrorists?”

Sangma further reminded the State government that there is a procedure if any organization has to be notified as a terrorist organization.

“You look at the list of the terrorist organizations you will see this list is notified by the MHA and not by the State government. So which terrorist organization was there, which was banned that these boys have to be arrested under this particular Act. What are they trying to do that means the government of the day is hell-bent on becoming a perpetrator to do injustice to innocent people that is how I will put it,” he said.

Further, the AITC leader demanded the State government to rectify such wrongs done to the people of the people of State.

“It should not be repeated and the government must rectify all these wrongs that have been perpetrated upon the people of the state,” he said.

Violators to pay dearly for sewage discharge into Umkhrah-Umshyrpi

Thirty-two areas have been identified along the two rivers – Umkhrah and Umshyrpi – for setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) even as hefty fines have been imposed against direct discharging of sewage into water bodies.

Forty-five days was also given to the concerned authority to take corrective action against mining activities in and around the Umkhen river, which will become the main source of water supply for the new Shillong township.

This was informed by the Chief Secretary DP Wahlang after a meeting on rejuvenation and restoration of these three major rivers of Shillong in the presence of the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Urban Affairs Sniawbhalang Dhar on Friday.

Different stakeholders including traditional heads and members of civil society groups also attended the meeting, which also highlighted the operative part of the orders passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) towards cleaning and reviving the water bodies of these major rivers.

“The basic focus was basically on the collective responsibility and also working together with one objective and that is to clean up Umkhrah, Umshyrpi and Umkhen which will be future source of water supply scheme in new Shillong,” Wahlang told reporters.

“It was a good meeting as all of us was in one mind and unanimously agreed that we should work together with the various agencies and the civil society groups and the headmen and I am sure that concrete results will be visible very soon,” he added.

Asked on the steps taking to stop direct discharge of liquid and solid waste into the rivers, Wahlang said in his presentation during the meeting he had shown the drone images of Wah Umkhrah right from the source up to Mawlai area and also Umshyrpi right from the source up to the Umshyrpi bridge and “over there we have seen concrete evidence of direct discharge into the rivers”.

He said that the first internal meeting on the matter was actually held on April 6, in which it was decided that the need to consult with all the other stakeholders and make it a bigger collective body towards addressing this problem.

“And since the last one week we have imposed hefty penalty. In fact anyone discharging directly into the rivers and anyone having faulty septic tanks and defective septic tanks if they don’t repair in 10-days’ time a fine will be imposed at the rate of Rs 500 per day not one time but Rs 500 per day till they seal the septic tank or they ensure the discharge does not make its way directly to the water bodies,” Wahlang informed.

“So a lot of decisions have been taken on April 6 meeting and also in today’s meeting in which I highlighted to all the headmen and environmental groups on what actions have been taken as it is time we all wake up as the situation is alarming and it is a collective effort only which will see us through,” he asserted.

Further, the chief secretary informed that NGT order had directed the need to ensure liquid waste is not discharged directly into the rivers.

“(In view of this), 32 areas have been identified – 20 along Umkhrah river and 12 along the Umshyrpi river – and they are known as the fall-off areas in which we need to setup STPs and five of them are under construction and the remaining we are looking for land. Wherever government land is available we will set up these STPs and if not, we have asked for the cooperation of the local dorbars to give us land to set up these STPs as per the direction of the NGT,” he said.

As far as the Umkhen river is concerned, Wahlang said, “Umkhen we have problem right from the source and we will be taking action as some mining activities is going on around that area. We have given about 45 days to take corrective actions as far as Umkhen is concerned.”

“As far as Umkhrah and Umshyrpi are concerned it will be a long drawn process because the problem is very severe in fact. All the localities have seen what is happening where and we have given video shots and we have given pictorial representation of garbage being dump into the river and sewage being dumped and discharged directly into the rivers,” he said.

Whether any timeline has been fixed to address the issues concerning these rivers, the chief secretary however said, “It will be a little time consuming, we have not fix a timeline but we will be setting up a core group as suggested by the chief minister to monitor whatever we have decided today so it is just not a talkshop but also action is taken on whatever we have discussed today.”

Asked if the role of the district council will also be taken into consideration, Wahlang said, “As far as solid and liquid waste management is concerned, in fact today we shared one very important order of the district council empowering the headmen to impose and levy fines on the citizens outside the municipal areas and with that the headmen are empowered and enabling provision is there in the law and I am sure that the headmen will make full use of the power that is given to them and defined within the law.”

With regards to protection of the catchment areas, the chief secretary said, “We also talked about plantation in today’s meeting but the immediate focus at hand in the meeting today was on the cleanliness aspects of the two rivers and Umkhen river the third one at the source. We didn’t go beyond the sources as far as Umkhen river is concerned but for the catchment areas yes plantation activities have been made and I am sure with the cooperation of all this will be fructify very soon.”

Meanwhile, the chief secretary informed that Rs 110 crore of money has already been ringfenced as far as NGT is concerned for the cleaning activities in and around Shillong town.

“A lot of activities being taken up within the municipal area for the Shillong Municipal Board, funding which will come from AMRUT 2.0 as well as Swachh Bharat Management (SBM Urban) and 15th Finance Commission will also pitched in. There is no amount that has been earmarked but funds will be avail because Rs 110 crore of money has already been ringfenced as far as NGT is concerned for the cleaning activities in and around Shillong town,” he added.