Chandigarh: 10 suspended govt school heads reinstated after conman incident

The suspension orders were passed a day after police registered a case against Rajiv Kumar, alias Raju, for duping cleaning staff in the Chandigarh government schools. The principals/heads of the 10 schools were placed under immediate suspension for dereliction of duty

As many as 10 headmistresses and in-charges of government schools, who had been suspended in May 2024, were reinstated. This suspension by the UT education department, a first of its kind, occurred after a conman managed to infiltrate and operate within the schools they supervised.

This suspension by the Chandigarh education department, a first of its kind, occurred after a conman managed to infiltrate and operate within the schools they supervised. (HT Photo)

The suspension orders were passed a day after police registered a case against Rajiv Kumar, alias Raju, for duping cleaning staff in the city government schools. The principals/heads of the 10 schools were placed under immediate suspension for dereliction of duty.

The department in it’s order stated that, “The headmistresses /in-charges placed under suspension under Rule 10 of Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965 vide the department of school education office order dated May 2, 2024 and May 3, 2024 have been reinstated today, on the recommendations of the suspension review committee meeting held on dated July 23, 2023, under sub-rule (6) of Rule 10 of Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965.”

While the department officials didn’t share the names of the schools, people familiar with the matter said they are from the peripheral areas of the city, with three from Dhanas, as per the complaint submitted to the police.

According to officials, Sunita of Dhanas complained that on January 4 this year, the accused met her and told that he had a tender for recruitment of 100 cleaners on DC rate in three schools. She told her neighbours and around 12 persons met with the accused at the Government Model High School, Dhanas, to get jobs.

Sunita said she was asked to pay ₹35,000 for a cleaning job and alleged that the accused and his aunt Chanda Thakur have taken money from around 40 unemployed women.

UT education department officials had said Rajiv Kumar claimed to be a contractor from Delhi who had got the contract from the ministry of health under the Swachh Bharat Mission. In some schools he claimed to be from the Chandigarh municipal corporation.