Former Rajya Sabha MP from Mizoram, Lalhming Liana, has been put on trial by a special court for allegedly using forged air tickets for claiming reimbursement of travel allowance and fraudulently inducing the government to pay the amount.
Special CBI judge Gurdeep Singh framed charges against Liana for the alleged offences under sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of a valuable section), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the IPC and under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act.
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 travel allowance (TA) bills for reimbursement and claimed excess money than the actual amount paid by him for travel in companion free scheme (CFS) of Air India.
The agency had alleged that he had claimed excess of Rs 10,38,553 from Rajya Sabha which he actually did not pay.
"... I am of the opinion that the accused (Liana) by submitting TA bills of the amount, which he actually had not paid and fraudulently and dishonestly induced the government to pay the amount to him as reimbursement, thereby, cheated the government and committed an offence punishable under section 420 IPC," the judge said.
"Further, accused has used forged amount of air ticket and CFS ticket to the office of Rajya Sabha for claiming the reimbursement and thereby an offence punishable under sections 467/471 IPC is also made out," the court said.
Liana did not plead guilty to the charges made out against him and claimed trial after which the court fixed the matter for September 18.
In its order, the court noted that an MP is issued TA during Parliament session and also for attending the meetings of Parliamentary Committee of which he or she is its member.
