Guwahati: The Serchhip district Rongura, Superintendent of Excise and former Assistant Accounting Officer of Serchhip Treasury were indicted on March 16 in a corruption case by Mizoram’s Special Court (under the Prevention of Corruption Act).
The two were found responsible for misusing government cash of Rs 173 crore. The two accused government officials have been placed in judicial detention until the sentencing hearing on March 20, 2023.
The penalties for the two officials would be made public on March 20 by Special Judge HTC Lalrinchhana.
In his order, Lalrinchhana said that Rongura had engaged in criminal misconduct by claiming and drawing excess sums as part of a criminal conspiracy with Suakngura, an Assistant Accounts Officer in the Serchhip District Treasury Officer’s office. Their pay bill was Rs 1,73,48,365.
The judge further stated that Suakngura received Rs 41,000 in bribe money from the workplace or under Rongura’s supervision in November 2016 as part of their criminal scheme. This money was credited to Suakngura’s personal bank account.
The judge added, “Suakngura is also hereby convicted under sections 120B/477A/420 of IPC and under section 13 (2) r/w 13 (1) (a) (c) & (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.” “In the reverberations, Rongura is convicted under sections 120B/420/477A of IPC and under section 13 (2) read with section 13 (1) (a) (c) & (d) of the Prevention.
Following their convictions, their bail and bond were immediately revoked, and the responsibilities of each surety were released.
As a result, “the aforementioned convicted accused persons shall be remanded into judicial custody until March 20, 2023 for the hearing of the sentence,” the special judge added.
One of the convicted persons Rongura was made to retire after being charged in a departmental inquiry into the same misappropriation issue.