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GUWAHATI
The Mizoram police have arrested two people, including an ambulance driver, for allegedly masterminding an operation to release inmates from the district jail using fake court documents.
According to a statement issued by the state police on Saturday (May 9, 2026), the counterfeiting racket secured the release of 17 prisoners charged with serious offences, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act 2012 and the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985.
These prisoners were released from the Lunglei District Jail.
The case came to light on April 27 when the Additional District and Sessions Judge filed a First Information Report at the Lunglei police station after two convicted prisoners appeared before the court despite being officially out on bail.
The two produced release orders purportedly issued by the Lunglei District Court and the Gauhati High Court (which covers Mizoram), claiming that they were released on bail of ₹50,000. They raised suspicions after they did not show up for the hearing on the scheduled dates.
Police subsequently discovered that 17 inmates had fraudulently secured their release from the county jail between January 30 and March 18 using forged warrants. The investigation led to the identification of 15 people involved in the racket.
While the Lunglei police arrested 11 of these prisoners and sent them back to jail, another was found to have died after being released from jail. The search for the remaining inmates continues, police said.
Two of the arrested accused have been identified as 25-year-old Jeremiah Lalthanglua, a resident of the state capital Aizawl, and 31-year-old C. Lalrinthluaii, a driver of a private ambulance attached to the district jail.
Police said Jeremiah, whose wife was lodged in the Lunglei jail, used a lawyer to obtain forged release documents prepared on computers at the district jail and printing office in Lunglei town.
Prison authorities reportedly released the inmates after recognizing the forged warrants as genuine.
Published – 10 May 2026 11:14 IST
