The Aizawl District Court granted bail on Monday to Mizo Students’ Union (MSU) President Samuel Zoramthanpuia in a case involving alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 relief funds. However, bail was denied in a separate case involving allegations of kidnapping and extortion, with the court citing the severity of these charges. Zoramthanpuia was initially detained last Friday by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on charges of cheating and misappropriating funds from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, specifically under Sections 420 and 403 of the Indian Penal Code.
Following this, Aizawl Police took him into custody for his alleged role in the kidnapping and extortion of Bhanu Shankar Rabidas, an employee of M/S Satnam Global Infraproject Ltd., residing in the Tuikuahtlang area of Aizawl. The kidnapping case dates back to an FIR filed by Rabidas on September 19, 2024, under multiple sections, including 127(2), 127(7), 140(2), 3(5), and 309(5). The ACB also charged Zoramthanpuia with the misappropriation of Rs 15,13,162 from a COVID-19 fund totaling Rs 50 lakh, which was intended to support healthcare and aid for Myanmar refugees in Mizoram.
The investigation began on September 2 after the ACB received complaints against MSU leaders, particularly Zoramthanpuia, then the MSU’s General Secretary. A criminal case was formally registered on October 17 after preliminary findings pointed to potential misconduct.
