Kalikho Pul
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
A profile
The Times of India, Aug 10 2016
Kalikho Pul, who had a meteoric rise from being a carpenter and a security guard to becoming the eighth chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh after rebelling against his own party , had an experientially rich even if chequered political career.
Coming from the remote Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh bordering China, Pul, wore several hats in the course of his journey to the CM's office, a position he held for little over four months. He will be remembered as the shortest serving CM of the state. Pul also served under various CMs, including Gegong Apang, Mukut Mithi and late Dorjee Khandu, and had the distinction of being the longest-serving finance minister of the Arunachal.
The firebrand satrap, who was with the Congress till December 2015, Pul became CM with the BJP's support in February . However, the Supreme Court termed his appointment illegal. Later, Nabam Tuki was reinstated, who then made way for Pema Khandu as CM.
Born on July 20, 1969, to Tailum and Koranlu Pul at Walla village in Hawai circle of Anjaw district, Pul began his political innings in 1995 when he was elected an MLA from Hayuliang constituency and became the finance minister in the Mukut Mithi government. Since then, there was no looking back for Pul, who won from the constituency five straight times and was minister of state for power, finance and land management.
Pul had special interest in social service and helped the poor and the needy. He was also a much married man had three wives and seven children, all of who lived under the same roof.
Notes hold clue to his death?
Prabin Kalita, `Clue to Pul's mystery death in his notes,' Oct 27 2016 : The Times of India
Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa, who was sacked as governor of Arunachal Pradesh, has claimed that Kalikho Pul, who was found hanging in his home on August 9, 2016, left behind notes running into 60 pages that talk about the circumstances leading to the ex-CM's death.
The notes, stapled together with title `Mere Vichar', were written by Pul and is now with the judicial magistrate. “In the notes, he has taken names and written about their involvement in corruption and names of people who have cheated him. He has described things going on for the last 10-12 years. But he has not said that he has committed suicide because of these persons or these reasons,“ IGP N Payeng told TOI.
Rajkhowa also questioned the mysterious death of the caretaker of the CM's bungalow exactly a month after Pul's death.
Pul’s suicide note makes allegations aganst the highest
Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul's widow made sensational allegations against Chief Justice of India J S Khehar in the Supreme Court on Thursday before withdrawing her letter to him seeking a CBI probe into her husband's signed note which allegedly accused judges and politicians of corruption. The purported suicide note, written in pure Hindi, was widely circulated on WhatsApp with the names blurred.Apart from levelling corrup tion charges against judges, the note allegedly linked Pul's suicide to the July 13, 2016 judgment by a five-judge SC bench which reinstated the Congress government in the state and, in the process, pulled down the one headed by Pul. The ex-CM committed suicide on August 9 last year.
On February 17, Pul's widow Dangwimsai had written to the CJI demanding a CBI probe against the judges named in the suicide note, which alleged that extraneous considerations influenced the SC's July 2016 judgment. The CJI had ordered the letter to be listed as a writ petition before a bench of Justices A K Goel and U U Lalit.
On Thursday, Dangwimsai's counsel Dushyant Dave made the sensational claim that a former SC judge had approached him on Khehar's behalf. He also questioned the decision to turn the letter into a writ petition to be disposed of by the SC when his client had sought an administrative inquiry , as also the choice of Justices Goel and Lalit to hear the petition.Dangwimsai's letter cited the SC's 1991judgment in the Veeraswami case where the apex court had ruled that SC and HC judges could be probed for corruption but only with the prior permission of the CJI.
The Constitution bench ruling had also said, “If the Chief Justice of India himself is the person against whom allegations of criminal misconduct are received, the government shall consult any other judge or judges of the Supreme Court.“
Dangwimsai's letter had said, “I am sure you (CJI) will have the matter placed before the appropriate judge in accordance with the judgment in Veeraswami case for consideration of my request.“
Dave raised several questions. “Why was Dangwimsai's letter converted into a criminal writ petition? Why was it put up for hearing in open court for a judicial decision when the CJI was expected to take a decision on the administrative side? Is the CJI precluded from taking a decision on the letter as the allegations in the suicide note concerned the CJI's son?“ “We had sought an administrative direction, why was it taken on the judicial side? We want to know the reason...There was a development on Monday evening. A former judge of the SC met me on behalf of the CJI. I do not want to say more. I beg your lordships to stay away from this case,“ Dave urged the bench.
Initially, Dave gave the impression that he was totally against the letter being put up for hearing in open court.
Later, he wanted to know if it was to be put up for hearing, then why before a bench headed by a junior judge like Justice Goel, who is number 13 in seniority among the 28 SC judges.
“This letter brings forth a more serious issue than the one raised by Calcutta HC's Justice C S Karnan, which is being he ard by a five-judge bench. So, why was a fivejudge bench not constituted for this case? Why has it been assigned to a junior judge and not to number three (Justice J Chelameswar) or number four (Justice Ranjan Gogoi) or number five (Justice Madan Lokur)?“ Dave asked.
When the bench appeared determined to proceed with the hearing, Dave said, “You (Justice Goel) were a colleague of the CJI in Punjab and Haryana HC.You should recuse yourself.“
Finally , Dave said his client wanted to withdraw the letter to explore other avenues.
“We will now approach the vice-president... as the suicide note contains allegations against the President also. If the Supreme Court decides on the letter after converting it into a writ petition, then all other avenues for remedies will be closed,“ Dave said. The bench permitted Dangwimsai to withdraw the letter and said the withdrawal would mean that the cause of action initiated by the widow in writing to the CJI had ended.
