Bureaucratic delays stall demand for fast-track court

Itanagar, Feb 5: The demand for a fast-track court in the St Alphonso School tragedy case continues to face bureaucratic delays, despite repeated appeals from victims' families.

The request, initially submitted to the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) deputy commissioner's office on January 3, remains stuck in procedural bottlenecks.

The tragedy, which occurred on December 14 due to a tank burst at the school in Jollang, claimed the lives of three students and left two others injured.

Following the incident, Naharlagun police arrested the school's principal, Shaji Cherian, along with staff members and the building owner, Kapa Rai. However, Rai was granted bail within 12 hours, further intensifying demands for swift justice.

Despite widespread media attention at both state and national levels, the demand for a fast-track court remains unresolved.

The deputy commissioner’s office had forwarded a memorandum requesting the special court to the chief secretary on January 2. However, it took nearly a month for the letter to be relayed to the home department, which received it via e-letter on January 27.

When NewsFy, along with a victim's parent, visited the secretariat to inquire about the status of the request, officials at the home department expressed ignorance about the letter’s progress.

Staff members cited the absence of key personnel and acknowledged the request only after a victim’s parent personally followed up on it on Monday. They assured that further action would now be taken on the matter.

Further inquiries revealed that the file must still pass through multiple administrative levels before a final decision is made.

It will first be processed by the Under Secretary before being forwarded to the Deputy Secretary, Additional Secretary, Commissioner (Home), and finally the Principal Secretary (Home).

Meanwhile, the families of the victims continue to press for expedited proceedings, urging authorities to ensure that justice is not delayed due to bureaucratic red tape. (Source: NewsFy)