Aizawl: Mizo National Front (MNF) Legal Board on Thursday urged chief secretary Khilli Ram Meena, who is also the chief vigilance officer, to take cognizance of alleged corruption and criminal conspiracy in the Lengpui land deal and to recommend a CBI investigation into land acquisition and compensation disbursement for the Indian Air Force (IAF) project near Aizawl.In a representation signed by Lalpianfela Chawngthu, vice chairman of the MNF legal board, the party said the alleged scam is not “a case of administrative lapse, but of systemic corruption involving abuse of constitutional office, attracting offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, BNS, and allied statutes.” The letter said that given the involvement of the CM, revenue minister, senior bureaucrats, and politically connected private individuals, no investigation by any state agency can inspire public confidence.“It is pertinent to mention that Mizoram initially accorded general consent for CBI investigation by notification no. C.31016/1/2020-VIG dated Dec 28 2023, followed by Government of India Notification dated Feb 19, 2024. Subsequently, by a notification dated June 27, 2024, the state withdrew general consent and restricted CBI jurisdiction in matters involving state-controlled public servants without prior State approval. Therefore, the power to require CBI investigation now squarely rests with the state govt,” Chawngthu said.The MNF Legal Board alleged the land deal involved grave corruption, abuse of constitutional authority, criminal conspiracy and large-scale misappropriation of public funds linked to acquisition of land for the IAF at Lengpui. “The facts disclosed herein demonstrate not mere procedural irregularities, but a deliberate, co-ordinated, and politically controlled operation designed to unlawfully divert approximately Rs. 188 crore of public money to private individuals who had no lawful entitlement whatsoever,” the representation said.The letter said a preliminary notification issued on May 15, 2025 by the secretary for the state land revenue & settlement department stated the acquisition would be governed by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR Act), and that the final notification was issued on July 22, 2025, a day after the CM personally approved disbursement of compensation.“On July 24, 2025, merely two days after the final notification, the final award for the entire amount was issued, completing the entire process from preliminary notification to award within approximately 70 days, an impossibility under the RFCTLARR Act if conducted lawfully. The sequence clearly shows that statutory authorities acted under direct political command, reducing the district collector and revenue officials to mere instruments of the political executive,” the representation said.
