Corruption court summoned Mizoram Congress president

Aizawl Aug 18: Special Court on Corruption has summoned Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee president and leader of the opposition Lalthanhawla following a PIL in Supreme Court.

Rev. Zairema and Bualhranga, two Mizoram citizens had filed the PIL in mid 1990s and after a series of hearings, the apex court has instructed Mizoram government to look into the matter, official sources here said today.

However, acting on the apex court's instructions, the case was handed over to the Mizoram police for detail investigations.

The investigations were renewed in late 1998 when Mizo National Front(MNF) came to power, which resulted in the police presenting the case to the Special Court under Judge P Singthanga for trial in 2004. Sources said two other respondents in the case, Jodhraj Jain, a businessman from Guwahati and his accountant posted in Aizawl, had challenged the Special Court on its competancy to take the case to trial.

The Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court B S Reddy gave a ruling that the Special Court constituted by the High Court was competent to take the case to trial early this month.

Lalthanhawla and the two other respondents would be appearing in court for the first time in connection with his corruption case on August 31, 2006.

UNI