Recruitment record misappropriation: Punjab vigilance arrests 5 education dept employees
A team of Punjab vigilance bureau on Tuesday arrested five officials of Punjab Education Department for committing irregularities and misappropriation in safekeeping of official records
A team of Punjab vigilance bureau (VB) on Tuesday arrested five officials of Punjab Education Department for committing irregularities and misappropriation in safekeeping of official records pertaining to recruitment of about 9,998 posts of ETT/JBT/Teaching Fellows in 2007.
The accused, Manjit Singh, junior assistant, Mohinder Singh, senior assistant, Dharampal, senior assistant (all retired now), from the District Education Office (DEO) Elementary, Ludhiana, Narinder Kumar, junior assistant and Mitar Vasu, senior assistant in DEO (Elementary), Gurdaspur were arrested and produced before the court on Tuesday.
The court has granted three days police remand to all the accused for further investigation. In a communiqué, VB informed that following investigations of a vigilance enquiry against employees of Department of School Education, Punjab, the VB has registered a case under Sections 409, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of Indian Penal Code and 7 (13) (1) (A), 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act at VB police station, Flying Squad-1, Punjab at Mohali.
The fraud came to light following complaints that many selected candidates were selected by submitting bogus documents including forged experience certificates. He said the accused failed to submit the requisite record to the departmental committee appointed for probing the allegation.
On the basis of preliminary probe, these accused officials were arrested and the role of officials who remained posted during this selection process, would also be investigated thoroughly in accordance with law, stated the communique of VB.
The communique issued by VB stated, during the probe it was found that these officials remained posted in DEO (Elementary) Ludhiana and Gurdaspur during different period and were responsible for the safe and secure custody of recruitment record such as checklists, merit lists, scrutiny lists, experience certificates, final selection/merit lists of the candidates who had applied for about 9,998 posts of ETT/JBT/ Teaching Fellows in 2007. However, these employees, in connivance with the official of the Education Department, had committed irregularities and misappropriation in safekeeping of this record.
