Aizawl: A local court on Friday summoned Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla over the controversial "false affidavit" case in which he was accused of concealing information about him owning a plot of land in Calcutta, and his actual age while filing nomination for the 2013 Assembly elections.

Serchhip district chief judicial magistrate Lalngaihmawia Zote issued an order, summoning the chief minister to appear before the district court on March 28. The state budget session is on till March 29.

On February 17, Lalhriatrenga Chhangte, deputy controller of mines at Indian Bureau of Mines, Calcutta, filed a case with the chief judicial magistrate of Serchhip district against Lal Thanhawla, accusing him of issuing false affidavits before the magistrate while filing his nomination.

Following this, Zote registered a criminal complaint under Section 200 of the CrPC against the chief minister.

Chhangte alleged that the five-time Mizoram chief minister owned a plot in New Town on the outskirts of Calcutta where he is constructing a multi-storied building. He said the chief minister had failed to declare his land ownership in his affidavits when he filed candidature for Serchhip constituency, his home turf, in 2013. Chhangte also alleged that Lal Thanhawla had fabricated information about his actual age in the affidavit.

In November last year, Chhangte had also appealed to the Election Commission to look into the case as it contravenes Section 125-A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. However, when the poll panel told the complainant that the deadline for filing the complaint was already over, Chhangte filed the complaint at the district court.

The issue came to light in November when Chhangte disclosed the matter on his Facebook post.

Various Opposition parties, including Zoram National Party have demanded the chief minister's resignation.