Mizoram: Lai Council Chief executive sentenced to four years for Corruption

V Zirsanga, the chief executive member of the Lai Autonomous District Council (LADC), has been sentenced to four years in jail by a special court in Aizawl for corruption.

Judge HTC Lalrinchhana of the Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act) further fined him Rs 4 lakh, with two more years in prison if he didn't pay.

The court had convicted Zirsanga and three other persons on January 19 under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 420 (cheating), and the Prevention of Corruption Act for misappropriating Rs 1.33 crore when he was the executive member of the LADC in charge of education (middle school).

The severity of the penalties was disclosed on Monday.

Lalduna Chinzah, the district education officer of Lawngtlai at the time, was fined Rs. 6 lakh and sentenced to four years in prison by the special court.

Additionally, C Lalchawiliana, the district secretary of the Middle School Teachers' Association, and PC Muankima, the middle school headmaster of Thingkah village, received sentences of five and four years in prison, respectively.

Lalchawiliana was fined Rs 4 lakh, while Muankima was fined Rs 6 lakh.

In addition to them, thirty illegally appointed teachers and non-teaching staff members were found guilty by the special court. The court ordered them to pay penalties of Rs 6 lakh apiece.

The anomaly concerns the regularisation of educators employed at the eighteen middle schools in Lawngtlai that were provincialized in January 2012. The prosecution claims that Zirsanga and the three officials fabricated the accounts and created phoney service books, certificates, and other fraudulent educational credentials.