Mizoram special court sentences PWD junior engineer to 4 years imprisonment in graft case

The convicted person was remanded to judicial custody and sent to the Central Jail after pronouncement of the quantum of punishment

A Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act) in Aizawl today sentenced a junior engineer (JE) of Mizoram Public Works Department (PWD’s) Western Circle, C. Lalfakawma, to 4 years imprisonment in a graft case.

The Special Judge H.T.C. Lalrinchhana on Monday, September 4 has convicted Lalfakawma under section 409 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under section 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (a) of (Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The Special Court sentenced Lalfakawma under Section 409 of IPC to undergo 2 years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1 lakh, in default, another imprisonment of 6 months.

The Special Court additionally sentenced the defendant to 4 years imprisonment and a penalty of Rs. 1 lakh under Sections 13 (2) and 13 (1) (a) of the PC Act, 1988.

Since, the convict has no previous criminal records and sole earner of his family, the court ordered both sentences to be served concurrently, with the exception of the fine, which means Lalfakawma will serve only 4 years imprisonment.

Lalfakawma was remanded to judicial custody and sent to the Central Jail after pronouncement of the quantum of punishment.

On May 20, 2020, H. Thanga Zate, Deputy Secretary, PWD, Government of Mizoram, filed a complaint with the Chairperson, Mizoram Lokayukta, requesting an investigation into claims that C. Lalfakawma had taken illegal money from contractors while he was working at Khawzawl Sub Division.

The state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered criminal cases and launched investigations after receiving instructions from the Lokayukta regarding the claims that the accused stole Rs 17 lakh from Lalroenga, a contractor building a PMGSY road between Rabung and Aiduzawl and maintaining it for 5 years, and Rs 3 lakh from Lalroenga’s subcontractor Vanhmingthanga during 2018.

Although the prosecutors declared the contractor and sub-contractor as hostile prosecution witnesses, the contractor admitted that he had deposited Rs 17 lakh as a loan into the accused’s State Bank of India account.

During court proceedings, the accused claimed that he had repaid the accused of Rs. 17 lakh after a criminal case was registered against him.

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