The Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner (DC), who issued a fake terrorist-affected quota certificate to the daughter of Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajjit Singh to get a free medical seat, has landed in fresh trouble as the Punjab chief secretary has marked an inquiry into the matter.
The chief secretary has also quashed the inquiry report submitted by then Hoshiarpur DC Varun Roojam.
Roojam had issued the terrorist-affected certificate to Rajjit's daughter, stating that he (Rajjit) was killed in an encounter, whereas he was alive. The certificate was produced during counselling for admission to MBBS at Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot (BFUHS).
The fraud was exposed by Hindustan Times (August 10).
Following the HT report, in an apparent effort to save his skin, Roojam got an inquiry conducted into the matter on his own and sent a suo motu inquiry report to the chief secretary, who is his cadre-controlling authority.
After that inquiry, the DC had suspended a senior clerk, Tarsem Singh, who was working in the relief and rehabilitation branch of the DC's office.
According to sources in the Punjab personnel department, Punjab chief secretary Rakesh Singh last week quashed the inquiry report submitted by Roojam. At present, the latter is posted as the deputy commissioner, Jalandhar. And the chief secretary has also asked divisional commissioner, Jalandhar, R Venkataratnam to conduct a fresh inquiry into the matter.
{{/usCountry}}According to sources in the Punjab personnel department, Punjab chief secretary Rakesh Singh last week quashed the inquiry report submitted by Roojam. At present, the latter is posted as the deputy commissioner, Jalandhar. And the chief secretary has also asked divisional commissioner, Jalandhar, R Venkataratnam to conduct a fresh inquiry into the matter.
{{/usCountry}}When contacted on his mobile phone, Venkataratnam was unavailable for comment. When contacted on his landline number, his office staff said he was in court regarding a case. Earlier, the BFUHS had also cancelled the candidature of the SSP's daughter and an explanation was sought from the SSP by the home department.