E-Paper
13 fake appointment letters with forged CMO sign uncovered
The forged documents, dated October 26, November 9, and November 11, indicated assignments at multiple health centres, with contracts supposedly valid until March 31, 2025. However, upon investigation, Dr AK Choudhary, additional CMO, confirmed the forgery and reported the matter to Kotwali police station, which has since filed a case against unidentified individuals.
As many as 13 fake appointment letters for contractual pharmacists were uncovered on Tuesday evening after candidates arrived at community health centres to begin their assignments. The letters, bearing the forged signature of Gorakhpur’s chief medical officer (CMO), were exposed as fraudulent following an anonymous tip-off to the CMO’s office.
The forged documents, dated October 26, November 9, and November 11, indicated assignments at multiple health centres, with contracts supposedly valid until March 31, 2025. However, upon investigation, Dr AK Choudhary, additional CMO, confirmed the forgery and reported the matter to Kotwali police station, which has since filed a case against unidentified individuals.
CMO Dr Ashutosh Dubey, who was on leave, stated, “I have been informed that appointment letters bearing my forged signature were issued on different dates, directing individuals to join health centres. The police are investigating the matter.”
According to the officials, the fake appointment letters targeted pharmacists for assignments under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) program. The positions were spread across Siddharth Nagar, Kushinagar, Basti, and Maharajganj districts, with one pharmacist directed to Prayagraj.
Health officials are now scrutinising employees within the CMO’s office as part of the ongoing investigation.
