Imchen told the Assembly that there were irregularities in appointments in the police department by the police headquarters at Kohima without the approval of the government.
His statement on the floor of the House is likely to seal the fate of former director-general of police, K. Kire, who has been chosen by chief minister Neiphiu Rio to be the next vigilance commissioner.
“Appointments are made in the police headquarters and I am answerable for being a minister,” Imchen said.
He said there were irregularities in the appointments but assured the House that he would re-examine the matter as soon as possible.
The home minister said questions raised by the Opposition Congress were “very interesting” and shifted the whole blame on the police headquarters.
However, chief minister Rio tried to defend the police department saying there was a recruitment board which looked into the appointments and there was no question of any backdoor appointment.
Former leader of the Opposition and a senior Congress legislator, I. Imkong, however, said there were backdoor appointments in the department.
However, the home minister said, “I do not understand what you meant by backdoor appointment.”
Another Congress MLA, Kheto, criticised the government saying the home minister’s statement had clearly said there were differences between the police headquarters and the government.
The Congress had claimed that over 400 people were appointed in the police department without the sanctioned posts.
The leader of the Opposition, Tokheho Yepthomi, said Rs 18-crore scam in the police department was serious and demanded an independent committee to probe into it.
He said irregularities in the police department was “very serious”.
The Congress had already demanded resignation of the home minister for his alleged involvement in the Rs 18-crore scam under police modernisation programme.
Tokheho said the DAN government had created two classes of people in Nagaland — rich and poor.
“Is the DAN people’s government or an anti-people government?” he asked and added that there was no place for good and honest people under DAN.