Mizoram police bust racket using fake court papers to release prisoners

GUWAHATI

Mizoram police arrested two persons, including an ambulance driver, for allegedly masterminding an operation to release prisoners from the district jail using forged court documents.

The forgery racket enabled the release of 17 prisoners arrested under serious crimes, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012 and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Act, 1985, according to a statement made by the state police on Saturday, May 9, 2026.

These prisoners were released from Lunglei district prison.

The case came to light on April 27 when the Additional District and Sessions Judge lodged a first information report at Lunglei police station after the two undertrial prisoners appeared before the court even though they were officially shown as out on bail.

The duo filed release orders purportedly issued by the Lunglei district court and the Gauhati High Court (covering Mizoram), claiming that they were discharged on a surety of ₹50,000. Their failure to attend the hearings on the scheduled dates aroused suspicion.

Police later determined that 17 inmates were fraudulently released from the county jail between January 30 and March 18 using fake court orders. During the investigation, the identities of 15 people involved in the incident were determined.

While the Lunglei police re-arrested 11 of these detainees and sent them to prison, it was determined that another died after being released. Police said the search for the remaining prisoners continues.

Two of the arrested accused were identified as 25-year-old Jeremiah Lalthanglua, a resident of the state capital Aizawl, and 31-year-old C. Lalrinthluaii, a private ambulance driver in the district jail.

Police said Jeremiah, whose wife was in Lunglei prison, used the services of a lawyer to obtain fake release papers prepared on computers at the district jail and at a printing house in the town of Lunglei.

Prison authorities reportedly released the inmates after accepting the fake court orders as genuine.