Mizoram CM candidates only ones with pending criminal cases

GUWAHATI: Two chief ministerial candidates in Mizoram — Congress’s Lal Thanhawla, the incumbent chief minister, and Mizo National Front (MNF) president Zoramthanga — are the only elected representatives from the state with pending criminal cases.

According to a Gauhati high court report to the Supreme Court, submitted in response to a PIL seeking fast disposal of criminal cases against elected representatives, both could face prison terms if found guilty.

Lal Thanhawla has been charged under Section 125 A of The Representation of the People Act, 1951 for allegedly concealing immovable property in his nomination papers for the 2013 assembly election. The chief minister, who is seeking a record third term, has tagged the case in his affidavits for nomination papers to two seats he is contesting — Serchhip and Champhai South.

The complaint against him was registered on January 17 this year. The high court’s status report says that charges were framed against him on May 25 this year. It now awaits evidence at the court of the Serchhip chief judicial magistrate.

If proven guilty, Lal Thanhawla could face a maximum punishment of six months’ imprisonment with fine.

Opposition chief Zoramthanga has two cases pending against him — one registered in 2012 and the other in 2013 — with the special judge, Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The first case was registered in 2009 and the second in 2010 — both with anti-corruption branch of Aizawl police station. Charges were framed in 2015 for the first case and in July this year for the second.

The charges against Zoramthanga, as stated by him in his affidavit, include criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, fraudulent cancellation, destruction etc of will, authority to adopt, abetment, destruction of evidence of offence, and possession of wealth disproportionate to known source of income.

If found guilty in both cases, he could face up to seven years in prison, the Gauhati high court report states. In both cases, the current status has been shown as “prosecution evidence.”

Zoramthanga, a former guerilla leader who became Mizoram’s chief minister for two consecutive terms (1998-2008), is contesting from the Aizawl East-I constituency .