Aizawl: The Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act) in Aizawl on Monday sentenced a woman, who was previously employed as a casual worker under the state law and judicial department to four years imprisonment in a graft case.
Special judge (Prevention of Corruption Act) H.T.C Lalrinchhana sentenced Lydia Lalhruaitluangi, who worked as Lower Division Clerk (muster roll) or bill assistant between 2012 to 21.08.2018, to four years jail for misappropriating Rs. 1.06 crore.
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The special court also slapped a fine of Rs. 1 crore against Lydia and in default, she will undergo an additional 10 years.
Lydia was convicted under sections 13 (1) (a), (b)/13(2) P.C. Act, 1988 and under sections 406/420/468/471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on October 27 for misappropriating Rs. 1 crore meant for professional fees of government advocates by forging fake and bogus bills.
The graft case surfaced in September 2018 when a written FIR was filed by an under-secretary of law and judicial department to the effect that they had detected a case of misappropriation involving lakhs of rupees mainly from the budget head “Professional Service” allocated for payment of professional fees of government advocates believed to be committed by Lydia.
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Lydia, who worked on a Muster Roll basis, has been entrusted with assisting a cashier since September 2013 and performed the task of bill assistant till 6 August 2018.
She was arrested in October 2018 and was sent to judicial custody.
The prosecution found that Lydia had misappropriated Rs. 1 crore from the budget head Professional Service meant for professional fees of government advocates since 2015 by making fake and bogus bills and sanction orders.
She deposited and parked the misappropriated money in the bank accounts of three of her family members.
The special court, however, acquitted the father, mother and younger sister of Lydia for lack of cogent and plausible evidence.