Mizoram: Court summons investigating officer in education funds scam

District Judge Lucy Lalrinthari on Monday called for the IO to be present before the court with the case diary and other documents on Tuesday after defence lawyer B Lalramenga produced several documents he said was proof that his clients were innocent since there were appointment documents for scores of teachers they are accused of having made up on paper to claim their salaries.

Lalramenga also produced a letter from the main complainant asking the case be withdrawn, which prosecutors said have no value since the ACB had already registered a criminal case after a detailed inquiry. Prosecutors admitted they did not have these documents although they had asked the investigating agency to share it with them.

The hearing was mainly for the anticipatory bail the five accused persons had filed almost two months ago, about a week after the ACB registered a corruption case against them.

The judge questioned whether the ACB was really intent on pursuing the case saying they had not arrested the accused so far, but additional public prosecutor H Rammuankima argued them being granted anticipatory bail could impede investigations since some of the accused continue to hold influential positions in the autonomous district’s administration.

The accused include the Chief Executive Member or CEM of the Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC) in south Mizoram, the District Education Officer, a high school teacher attached as cashier to the DEO and two teachers who head the main teachers’ body there.

CEM V Zirsanga, a Congress politician, and the other four are accused of illegally amassing a total of at least Rs 1.29 crores from the education scam by issuing fake pay certificates for 41 teachers, drawing salaries of some teachers more than once while apparently pocketing the salaries of several others.