Mahanta charge-sheeted

SHILLONG, JAN 19: The city police recently charge-sheeted former Meghalaya’s additional attorney SP Mahanta and his wife V Kharsyntiew in a case related to the alleged land grabbing belonging to an Australian-based NRI.

“The Investigating Officer (IO) of Laitumkhrah police station has submitted the charge-sheet against Mahanta and his wife to the court on December last year,” a well placed source in the police department informed.

The source said the charge sheet was done as per the direction of the high court which had directed the police to conduct further investigation into the issue and to submit a report within four months.

“The police are still preparing to submit a supplementary charge sheet on the case as well to the court,” the source said.

Australian-based NRI Tushar Nath Bhattacharjee had filed an FIR alleging that the former Meghalaya additional advocate general SP Mahanta had forcibly occupied his land located at Lower Lachumiere locality.

According to the source, the land is about 5300 sq ft.

Nath alleged that Mahanta had made for himself a fraudulent sale deed and had his signature forged on it dated March 4, 1992 while he was away in Australia. He said Mahanta had put his name on the fraudulent document as a witness in the capacity of an advocate.

The source informed that the FIR filed by Tushar was registered as Laitumkhrah PS case No 15(3) 2005 under section 448/379/380/427/468 IPC.

“Earlier, the IO submitted a Final Report(FR), but there was no issue of notice issued to the complainant about FR, but the then CJM accepted the FR without the presence of the complainants or any statement from complainant,” the source said.

The source said that on this, the Complainant went to the high court and the high court overturned the order of the then CJM for accepting of FR and to issue notice to the complainant.

The complainant was called and he placed his statement and the case was re-opened, the source said adding but it took time as there was delay in appointment of Investigating Officer and for pending FSL clarification.- By Our Reporter