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Corruption in recruitments: Lapses deliberate to shield the accused, alleges Surjewala
Pointing out flaws in the investigation conducted by the Haryana Vigilance Bureau (VB) in the corruption case pertaining to selections of dental surgeons by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday alleged that lapses were deliberate to shield the accused and cover up the job scam
Pointing out flaws in the investigation conducted by the Haryana Vigilance Bureau (VB) in the corruption case pertaining to selections of dental surgeons by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday alleged that lapses were deliberate to shield the accused and cover up the job scam.
The former Haryana minister addressing a press conference said documents produced by the VB in court showed that “zero recovery” of documents has been made from the accused.
Quoting a November 23 order of the court of Panchkula chief judicial magistrate (CJM), the Congress leader said on November 19, the CJM’s court had sent HPSC deputy secretary Anil Nagar to police custody for four days to make recovery of documents from Rohtak district and the HPSC office in Panchkula.
The police custody was granted by the court on an application by the vigilance bureau.
“However, when the court asked for daily diary report of the local police station regarding visit of the investigating officer (IO) along with the accused to Rohtak district, the IO expressed his inability to furnish the same,” he said.
“Similarly, police remand was granted by the court to other two accused Ashwani Sharma and Naveen on November 22 on pretext that documents have to be recovered from Solan district in Himachal Pradesh. However, the IO again failed to furnish the daily diary report entries of the local police station,” the Congress leader said, quoting the court order.
Reading from the court order, Surjewala said on the contrary, the IO said though he is the head of the SIT constituted to investigate the offence, another IO will be able to explain why the accused were not taken to Rohtak and Solan.
The Congress leader said the court observed that the plea of the defence counsel that the IO is not serious regarding recovery of articles and only interested in keeping the accused in custody attains gravity.
Surjewala said the state government needs to answer whether the vigilance bureau is trying to cover up the whole issue by enacting a drama in the name of investigation against HPSC deputy secretary Anil Nagar and two other accused Ashwini Sharma and Naveen.
He also questioned as to why and how the contract for online application portal, scanning, etc was again given to Safedot E-Solution Pvt Ltd by the HPSC despite the fact that this company was ousted in 2020 by the previous HPSC chairman.
“The question is under what circumstances and at whose behest this ousted company was again given the job of recruitments by HPSC. Why the HPSC chairman and members have not been questioned by the VB in this regard?” he asked.
A HPSC spokesperson said the application portal was managed by TCS. “Now, the work has been given to another company through a tendering process. The scanning work is confidential and looked after by either the secretary or the deputy secretary. For dental surgeon and HCS exam, the scanning work was done in the presence of a committee headed by the deputy secretary. We are not aware of the agency entrusted with the job,” the spokesperson said.
