The Meghalaya government has filed a defamation suit against All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) national spokesperson Saket Gokhale.
This comes days after Saket Gokhale had accused financial irregularities of Rs 632 crore in the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development Project.
Meghalayan Age Limited, a company under the state government, has sought remedies in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, East Khasi Hills District under Section 200 read with section 190 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973. The firm is seeking Saket Gokhale’s prosecution for the alleged offence of criminal defamation under section 499.
WHAT DID SAKET GOKHALE SAY?
On December 4, Saket Gokhale issued a statement alleging irregularities of Rs 632 crore in the Meghalaya Ecotourism Infrastructure Development Project.
Saket Gokhale alleged, “These irregularities have happened under the company Meghalayan Age which is spearheaded by CM Conrad Sangma’s top aide IAS officer D Vijay Kumar.”
MEGHALAYA GOVT’S RESPONSE
The Meghalaya government was quick to respond to Saket Gokhale’s claims, with deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong alleging that the TMC leader’s intention was just to spoil the government’s image.
“I personally feel he (Gokhale) has become like a psycho as this man keeps making such allegations about the functioning of the state government. Now we have no more patience. We will have to file a defamation case against him,” Tynsong had said.
The Meghalaya government has now filed a case against Saket Gokhale for allegedly making false and defamatory statements in the print/electronic media against the state government and CM Conrad Sangma.