By NE NOW NEWS
Aizawl: A four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe a fraud at the Lunglei district jail in south Mizoram, where 16 convicts were fraudulently released over a period of a few months using forged court documents, a senior police officer said on Friday.
Lunglei Superintendent of Police J. Lalmuankima said the ruse came to light recently after a police complaint was filed.
He said 16 convicts serving sentences walked out of the district jail after deceiving prison authorities with forged court orders and fabricated seals.
“Police launched a manhunt immediately after the discrepancy surfaced, as a result of which 12 of the released convicts have since been apprehended, while one died after being released,” he said, adding that the search for the remaining three is on.
Lalmuankima said preliminary investigation has identified a 22-year-old inmate, Jeremy Lalthangtura, who was already facing several charges, including online fraud, as the suspected mastermind behind the fraud.
He was remanded to police custody on Friday for questioning.
According to the SP, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Lunglei Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) R. Thankima has been formed to investigate the matter.
“We are expecting further progress in the case very soon. As the case is currently being investigated by the SIT, we cannot at this stage point to any conspiracy involving insiders or outside collaborators,” Lalmuankima said.
According to jail authorities, the fraud began early this year but remained undetected until last week.
The discrepancy surfaced when officials at the Lunglei district and sessions court were unable to locate judicial records authorising the release of specific inmates.
Following this discovery, a formal police complaint was filed on April 25.
Lunglei district jail Deputy Superintendent Lalruatsanga noted that the counterfeit release orders featured fabricated seals and formatting that closely resembled authentic court directives.
The documents appeared genuine and passed initial scrutiny, and the inmates were released as there is no scope to delay or question court orders in prison administration, he said.