AIZAWL: Six individuals, including the younger brother of Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, were given one-year prison terms in a corruption case by a special court in Aizawl on Wednesday. Judge HTC Lalrinchhana of the special court (Prevention of Corruption Act) found these six individuals guilty of collecting government compensation through bogus claims by creating phoney land passes and authorization letters.
Several Aizawl residents, including C Vanlalchhuana, Saiaithanga, C Rokhumi, Lalduhawma, and PC Lalthazovi, as well as K Lalrawna of Champhai Town, received compensation totaling more than 2 crores for land that was submerged by water as a result of the development of a 60 MW hydroelectric project on the Tuirial river near Saipum village in Kolasib district.
The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) Ltd. project was launched in December 2017 with the help of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr. Vanlalchhuana, an Aizawl inhabitant who lives in Electric Veng, is Chief Minister Zoramthanga's younger brother.
They were found guilty under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forging a valuable security), 468 (forging with the intent to defraud), 471 (passing off a forged document as genuine), and 120B. (criminal conspiracy).
The CBI, which was conducting the investigation, was unable to establish the guilt of two other accused, H Lianzela, the former assistant deputy commissioner (ADC) of the Aizawl district, and the current director of state urban development and poverty alleviation (UD&PA), and Lalrinsanga, the former village council president of Saipum. As a result, the court exonerated them.
In addition, the defendants were told that failure to pay a fine of 20 lacks each will result in an additional 10 years in prison for each of them.
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