Meghalaya DGP Moves High Court to Dismiss FIR Alleging Vehicle Number Plate Tampering

Meghalaya’s Director General of Police (DGP), Lajja Ram Bishnoi, has taken legal action by petitioning the state’s High Court to quash the FIR filed against him by suspended police officer GK Iangrai. The FIR accuses Bishnoi of tampering with the number plate of his official vehicle.

The controversy erupted when Meghalaya Police initiated a criminal case against DGP Bishnoi on May 9, following allegations of misusing his official position and altering the registration number of his designated vehicle. Suspended police officer Gabriel K Iangrai lodged a formal complaint, leveling charges including criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and cheating against the senior police official.

An official source revealed that the FIR prompted immediate action without a preliminary inquiry, leading to the petition being filed. The case, registered under sections 409/467/471/120 B IPC along with section 792 of the Motor Vehicles Act, originated from the Sadar Police station.

In his petition to the High Court, DGP Bishnoi clarified that he had entrusted the matter to be investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which operates independently of his authority.

The FIR filed by Iangrai referenced an inquiry committee report from July 2022, which purportedly uncovered a Hyundai Verna with a falsified registration number parked at the Central Workshop. The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG-A) reportedly failed to register the vehicle due to missing documentation.

Iangrai, citing information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application, alleged that the registration number affixed to the white Kia Carnival limousine used by DGP Bishnoi actually belonged to a Verna 1.6 VTVT registered under the state Tourism Department.

The RTI revelations, as per Iangrai’s FIR, cast doubt on the integrity of the inquiry committee’s findings, prompting calls for accountability among its members. As legal proceedings unfold, the matter underscores the importance of transparency and due process in addressing allegations of misconduct within law enforcement agencies.