Mizoram Congress president chargesheeted

Aizawl, Sep 16 (UNI) Former Mizoram chief minister and opposition leader Lal Thanhawla and two others were chargesheeted for amassing wealth disproportionate to known sources of income.

Mr Lal Thanhawla, also the chief of Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), was chargesheeted yesterday after he appeared in the court of P Singthanga, Special Judge of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Additional Public Prosecutor Aldrin told the media here today that besides Lal Thanhawla, Jodhraj Baid, a non-tribal businessman and Pushpa Sharma, former accountant of Baid, both co-accused in the case, appeared before the court.

The next date of hearing was fixed on October four.

Lal Thanhawla was accused of amassing wealth of almost Rs two crore, disproportionate to the known sources of income, during his chief ministership for two consecutive terms since 1989.

On June 29 Guwahati High Court dismissed the petition by Baid challenging the appointment and competency of special judge P Singhanga to try the case.

Baid thereafter appealed to the Supreme Court, which dismissed his petition on September one.

Lal Thanhawla later told mediapersons here, ''I still do not have a criminal case against me, and will have it only after the court finds it fit to frame charges against me.'' The former chief minister's case dates back a decade ago when income tax officials raided some business establishments in Aizawl, Silchar, Guwahati and Kolkata on September 13, 1995 for allegedly finding evidences that Lal Thanhawla and a union minister were swindling public money in connivance with some wealthy businessmen.

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