New Delhi, July 02: CBI today filed chargesheet against former Union minister P K Thungon and two others for allegedly misappropriating about Rs 50 lakhs from funds sanctioned by the Centre for irrigation works in Nagaland. The chargesheet filed in the court of special judge Prem Kumar also names the then chief manager of Vijaya Bank branch N M Jain and a businessman Mahesh Maheshwari.
However, the agency failed to secure sanction from the Nagaland government for prosecuting the then state irrigation and flood control minister, Kongam Konyak, then joint director, irrigation and flood control department, Mezakrol, registrar of the department, Neilakuo Juokhrie, DDO stores Khriengnozo Angami and mechanic SDO (store) in agriculture department Bandang Wapang, who also allegedly connived in the conspiracy to misappropriate the money. They have been put in column two of the chargesheet indicating that they have not been sent for trial.
Central government, acting on a state government proposal had sanctioned Rs 2 crore for renovation and upgradation of minor irrigation projects in Nagaland during the year 1993-94. However, money from the grant was used to pay two suppliers for sausage wires, which were never supplied.
The misappropriated money was routed to Vijaya Bank, where a fictitious account was opened by Maheshwari in connivance with Jain.
Part of the money was transferred to another account in the name of one Prem Kumar, the cheque book of which was recovered by CBI sleuths from Thungon's residential premises during a raid on July 7, 1996. Bureau Report