Chandigarh: Conman booked for duping school cleaners; role of 10 principals under scanner

UT education department officials said as per initial probe, Rajiv had claimed to be a contractor from Delhi who had got the contract from the Union ministry of health under the Swachh Bharat Mission; in some schools he claimed to be from the Chandigarh municipal corporation

The role of 10 school principals of government schools is under the scanner and their files are being prepared for disciplinary action after a conman took money from contractual school cleaners to release their salaries, without having any such contract in the first place.

The scam came to light a week back after the accused Rajiv Kumar went to a government school , posing as a recruiter. (iStock)

The accused, identified as Rajiv Kumar, alias Raju, was booked for cheating, based on a complaint by one of the victims.

As per police, Sunita of Dhanas complained that on January 4 this year, the accused met her and claimed that he had a tender for recruitment of 100 cleaners on DC rate at three schools. She told her neighbours and around 12 persons met with the accused at 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 took money from around 40 unemployed women, which they haven’t returned till date.

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

The accused gave reasons like money is needed to register workers on their system. Cleaners had paid up to ₹50,000 per person in the past few months. The scam came to light a week back after Kumar went to a government school on the same pretext, officials said.

UT director of school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said, “The department is looking into the matter. The principals/heads in-charge, who allowed unauthorised people into the schools and allowed them to work without any authority, compromising the safety and security of schoolchildren, school staff and school property, will face strict action.”

The department initiated an inquiry on Wednesday. As per officials, it is likely that the principals of these schools will be suspended while the authorities haven’t yet revealed the names of the schools.

A case under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC has been registered at the Sarangpur police station, but the accused is yet to be arrested. The total amount of duped money is also yet to be confirmed. As per authorities, this is the first instance of such a scam in city schools.