Deputy controller of mines at Indian Bureau of Mines, Lalhriatrenga Chhangte, on Friday alleged that Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Chhangte told reporters here that the chief minister was involved in corruption and was constructing a multi-storeyed building in Calcutta, valued at Rs 5 crore, which he did not mention in his affidavit while filing nomination for the 2013 Assembly polls.
He said he had filed a corruption case with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Mizoram police against Lal Thanhawla on May 20 this year. But investigation has not started as the vigilance department failed to issue clearance to the ACB, he added. Interestingly, the vigilance department is under the chief minister.
Chhangte said he has decided to approach a high court and file a writ petition against Lal Thanhawla over his disproportionate assets. “I have no other option but to approach a high court as the vigilance department did not give clearance to the ACB for probe,” he said.
Despite Lal Thanhawla’s claim that he did not “steal” a single penny, Chhangte alleged he indulged in corruption and became one of the “richest” chief ministers in the Northeast.
On February 17, Chhangte filed a case with the chief judicial magistrate, Serchhip, against Lal Thanhawla, accusing him of concealing information about owning a plot of land in Calcutta while filing nomination for the 2013 Assembly polls.
He said the chief minister failed to declare about how much land he owns in his affidavit when he filed his candidature from his home turf Serchhip in 2013.
Though Lal Thanhawla claimed he did not mention owning land in Calcutta because it was a gift from the Bengal government and that he has not yet completed its mutation at the time of filing nomination, Chhangte said the land was not a gift as the chief minister signed a sale deed with the government.
He said the district court had summoned Lal Thanhawla several times but he failed to appear before it giving different excuses.
The next hearing of the case has been fixed for October 25 after Lal Thanhawla failed to appear before the court on Thursday, Chhangte said.
