A junior engineer (JE) of the Mizoram public works department was sentenced to four years imprisonment by a special court while a fine of Rs 2 lakh was imposed as well in connection to a graft case. Special judge HTC Lalrinchhana convicted C Lalfakawma under Section 409 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under Section 13 (2) read with 13(1)(a) of (the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988) on Monday.
The special court sentenced Lalfakawma under Section 409 of IPC to two years in jail with a fine of Rs 1 lakh. It also sentenced the convict under Section 13 (2) read with 13 (1) (a) of PC Act, 1988 to four years of imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
"Since he has no previous criminal records, both the sentences except the fines shall run concurrently. Period of detention of the offender in judicial custody, which he had already undergone (if any), shall be set off as enjoined by Section 428 of CrPC," the judgment said. The convicted person was remanded to judicial custody and sent to the Aizawl Central Jail after pronouncement of the quantum of punishment.
Criminal cases against Lalfakawma were initiated on May 20, 2020 when a deputy secretary of PWD submitted a complaint to Mizoram Lokayukta to investigate allegations that he had taken money from contractors while he was posted at Khawzawl subdivision.
As instructed by the Lokayukta, the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered criminal cases and began investigations into allegations that the accused took Rs 17 lakh from a contractor constructing a PMGSY road between Rabung and Aiduzawl and Rs 3 lakh from a sub-contractor in 2018.
Though the contractor and sub-contractor were declared as hostile prosecution witnesses by the prosecutors, the contractor admitted that he deposited Rs 17 lakh in the bank account of the accused as a loan. The sub-contractor said he borrowed Rs 8 lakh from the JE and paid back Rs 11 lakh as Lalfakawma required another loan of Rs 3 lakh.
(With inputs from PTI)
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