Aizawl, Dec. 10 -- A Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act has sentenced a senior official of the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC) in Mizoram to two years' simple imprisonment for siphoning off government funds through ghost employees. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 on the convict, J T Topa, a resident of New Colony-3 in Siaha town.
Special Judge F Rohlupuia delivered the sentence on Monday. The court ruled that the period Topa had already spent in judicial custody would be deducted from the total sentence, as provided under law.
Topa's counsel pleaded for leniency, stating that the Senior Accounts Officer is suffering from cancer, is bedridden and currently on palliative care, as reflected in his medical...