By Nimesh Bansal
It has barely been six months since Okram Ibobi Singh, the three time Chief Minister of Manipur, was ousted from power as the BJP formed the government in Manipur for the first time. The ex-CM now has to contend with an FIR for alleged financial irregularities and misuse of funds in the Manipur Development Society (MDS).
Chain of events
The state police has lodged an FIR against Ibobi Singh and five former bureaucrats of Manipur. Named in the report are former chief secretaries Y. Ningthem Singh, P. C. Lawmkunga, O. Nabakishore Singh, as well as former project director of MDS D. S. Poonia, and its administrative officer Ranjit Singh.
Manipurs planning department had approached the vigilance department in November 2016 to conduct an inquiry into the alleged financial irregularities in MDS. They alleged that the MDS officials had not observed prescribed procedures, establishments norms, and extant rules. The police enquiry indicates that negligence and malfeasance has caused liabilities to the state exchequer worth Rs 185.79 crore.
Mood remains jovial
Congress, however, remains in high spirits. Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson A. K. Ranjit said that the party welcomes the investigation process and that the authenticity of the graft charges can only be determined post conclusion of the investigation. Okram Ibobi Singh, on the other hand, has maintained a low profile since the charges came to light. The police say the former CM is not available for comment as all calls to him went unanswered.
Congresss Okram Ibobi Singh served as the Chief Minister of Manipur from March 2002 to March 2017, making him the longest-serving CM in the states history. But he has a far-from-spotless record. In 2006, a Wikileaks report revealed Ibobi Singh took a 10% cut from every government project or contract he commissioned. This led to him earning the infamous nickname, Mr Ten Percent.
Uncertain future
The FIR lodged against Mr Ten Percent is as stringent as it gets. It is registered under various sections of the IPC and the Personal Liabilities Act, 1998, charging him and the other five with cheating, criminal conspiracy, and breach of trust, with the last one being a non-bailable offence. With further developments expected in the case over the coming days, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the crestfallen former CM.
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