LTC scam: Ex Rajya Sabha MP Lalhming Liana sentenced to 3 yrs in jail

Former Rajya Sabha MP from Mizoram, Lalhming Liana, has been sentenced to three-year imprisonment by a Delhi court for forging air tickets to claim reimbursement of travel allowance.

Special CBI Judge N K Malhotra convicted Liana for the offences of cheating, forgery and using the forged document as genuine under the provisions of Indian Penal Code and criminal misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 11 lakh on Liana, a two-time MP.

He was granted statutory bail to enable him to file an appeal in the Delhi High Court.

Liana, who was associated with the Mizo National Front, was convicted on November 29 and the sentence was pronounced on November 30.

"The convict has forged the e-tickets on his computer and the tickets are for the period 2012-13. Convict also submitted the TA (travel allowance) bills on the basis of forged and fake tickets to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and TA bills were submitted in the year 2012-13," the judge said.

The court also said it was proved that Liana had submitted TA bills amounting to Rs 11,19,926 which also included the travel by companion and the actual fare of companion free scheme (CFS) was Rs 81,373.

It said it has been proved that the convict cheated the Rajya Sabha Secretariat for an amount of Rs 10,36,533 approximately.

CBI had named Liana in a charge sheet alleging that during his second term as Rajya Sabha MP from July 2008 to July 2014, he submitted fake TA bills for reimbursement and claimed excess money than the actual amount paid by him for travel in CFS of Air India.

The agency had alleged that he had claimed excess of over Rs 10.3 lakh from Rajya Sabha.

The court had in August 2015, framed charges against him for the offences under the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Liana had plead not guilty to the charges made out against him and claimed trial.

CBI prosecutor Jyotsna Sharma Pandey contended that Liana, being the member of Rajya Sabha, should have maintained the highest level of integrity and honesty. She said if liberal sentence is given to the convict, a wrong message will be conveyed in the society.

At the time of sentencing, he sought a lenient view in sentencing saying that he was a senior citizen had suffering from various ailments and has to take care of his family.

He also said he was a member of Mizo National Front, a political party in Mizoram.