TIA Correspondent
GUWAHATI– Former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Gegong Apang was Tuesday arrested by the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) for his alleged involvement in the Rs 1000 crore PDS scam in the State.
The SIC team arrested Apang from his residence in Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh. Earlier he was summoned to appear before the investigating agency for interrogation in connection with the multi-crore public distribution system (PDS) scam.
He was produced before the Special Sessions Court in Lakhimpur in Assam. He was sent to a seven-day police remand, informed the Superintendent of Police (Vigilance) M S Chauhan, who also head the SIC.
The SIC was constituted by the AP government on the directive of Gauhati High Court following a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Arunachal Citizens’ Rights (ACR) chairperson Bamang Tago and Domin Loya in 2004 alleging over Rs 1000 crore PDS scam in the state.
When Apang was chief minister, false and fraudulent hill transport subsidy (HTS) bills were cleared without financial concurrence, forcing the state exchequer to suffer a loss of Rs 500 crore.
Apang, has been arrested under non-bailable sections. He was booked under section 120b (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery), 409 (criminal breach of trust) of IPC read with B-2 Prevention of Corruption Act.
“We have arrested Apang on the basis of material evidence and statement provided by other accused,” said the investigating officer.
Gegong Apang served as the Chief Minister of the hilly state from January 18 1980 to January 19 1999 and again from August 2003 to April 9 2007 before his bete-noir Dorjee Khandu dethroned him from the state’s top chair.