The Aizawl Bench of the Guwahati High Court on Wednesday granted three weeks time to the Mizoram Government and the State Election Commission’s present Secretary, H Darzika, to file a counter-affidavit in a case alleging that Darzika in an earlier posting fraudulently transferred ownership of about 80 acres of land to four persons without the knowledge of 17 original landowners.
The four men allegedly later received compensation of Rs 21 crores as the land in question was acquired by the Union Home Ministry for the construction of a Border Security Force office.
According to the petitioners’ lawyer Lalremsanga, Darzika, as then Deputy Commissioner of Serchhip District, oversaw and signed on the “overnight” transfer of the land to four people even as signatures of witnesses to the transfer process were allegedly forged.
Lalremsanga said the 17 landowners knew their land was to be acquired for the project, but they had thought they would be given a total of Rs 70 lakhs or so for it. However, the ownership of their land was transferred to other people without their knowledge.
He added Darzika as the then DC was in charge of assessing both ownership as well as claims for compensation of the land marked for acquisition.
H Darzika did not respond to several calls for comment.