1. The Gauhati High Court has directed the CBI to investigate areca nut smuggling from Myanmar into India through Mizoram’s Champhai district.
2. This decision follows a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by activist Vanramchhuangi, also known as ‘Ruatfela Nu’.
3. The court cited the need for an unbiased inquiry due to the international scope of the smuggling operations.
Guwahati, July 20: The Gauhati High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate allegations of areca nut smuggling from Myanmar into India through Mizoram’s Champhai district.
This decision follows a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by activist Vanramchhuangi, also known as ‘Ruatfela Nu.’
A bench led by Justice Michael Zothankhuma and Justice Marly Vankung issued the order on Tuesday.
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The PIL alleged that fake or forged e-way bills and GST certificates were used in the smuggling operations.
The court noted that the state’s police had expressed their inability to investigate the issue thoroughly due to the international scope of the issue.
“This direction for a CBI probe is necessitated by the involvement of international smuggling and the need for an unbiased inquiry,” the court stated. It further instructed the CBI to register a case if warranted and pursue the investigation to its logical conclusion.
