Official sources today said Mahanta laid down his papers last week after the charges of land grabbing against him were brought up in the assembly by NCP.
During the assembly last week, Opposition NCP had cited media reports to allege that Mahanta had ''forged signatures and produced imposters'' in court to falsely claim the property of an NRI Tushar Nath Bhattacharjee, who resides at Sydney, Australia.
NCP legislator James Sangma maintained that Mahanta had "falsely personated" Bhattacharjee before the sub registrar in Shillong to execute a sale deed vis-A-vis Bhattacharjee''s property (Plot No. 80) in the Lauchumiere locality of the city in 1991.
The NCP legislator also said that as per his passport records, Bhattacharjee was not in India but in Australia during that period of time.
Law minister BM Lanong had said the government was seized of this "very important matter."
Informing that two title suits were pending in the court in this regard, Lanong maintained "It may not be wise for him to continue in office till the matter is disposed of."