Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Aizawl: A sophisticated forgery scheme has led to the illicit release of 17 prisoners from a Mizoram district jail, prompting a major investigation by local police. Authorities uncovered the racket after realizing that prisoners were securing freedom by presenting falsified court documents, including fraudulent bail orders, to unsuspecting jail officials.
The investigation began on April 27 when a judge at the Lunglei district court filed a formal complaint. Suspicion was initially raised after two undertrial prisoners failed to appear for court hearings, despite documentation indicating they had been released on bail bonds of 50,000 rupees. Subsequent inquiries revealed that the forgery operation had been running between January 30 and March 18, with convicts serving sentences for serious offenses under the POCSO and NDPS Acts among those illegally set free.
Police have since arrested two primary suspects, 25-year-old Jeremiah Lalthanglua and 31-year-old ambulance driver C Lalrinthluaii. Investigators believe Lalthanglua operated the scheme from inside the prison to secure his wife's release, allegedly paying for assistance from a lawyer. The counterfeit orders were produced using computers at a local print shop and within the jail facility itself, with Lalrinthluaii accused of assisting by providing access to office keys and monitoring the surroundings.
Of the 17 individuals who obtained release through these fraudulent means, 11 have been rearrested and returned to custody, while one has been confirmed deceased. The Mizoram Police continue to probe the extent of the operation, which reportedly involved bribes ranging from 4,000 to 50,000 rupees per inmate to facilitate the forgery of court documents.
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