Following a three-day probe, the Uttar Pradesh health department on Monday lodged an FIR against six individuals accused of securing jobs as X-ray technicians with forged documents. The complaint was filed by Dr Ranjana Khare, director of paramedical services, at Wazirganj police station.
According to the FIR, all six were working under the name ‘Arpit Singh’, with identical personal details but separate eHRMS (Enterprise Human Resource Management System) codes. They were posted in Shamli, Banda, Amroha, Balrampur, Farrukhabad and Rampur. Four shared the same permanent address, while two had different ones.
The case came to light after a report in Hindustan Times on September 5 prompted the directorate of health to launch an inquiry and seek fact-finding reports from chief medical officers (CMOs) of the districts concerned. Officials said, “Matching of name and father’s name is possible. But matching of even the date of birth in multiple cases is rarely possible.”
Dr Khare noted that in the 2016 list of 403 X-ray technicians appointed through the UP Subordinate Services Selection Commission, the name Arpit Singh appeared six times, with five Aadhaar numbers recorded in the department’s database. While Aadhaar details were provided for five districts, none was submitted for Shamli.
“The above-mentioned people forged documents and were working with the health department, drawing salaries since 2016 and causing financial loss to the salary section,” the FIR stated. It added that the crime dates back to May 25, 2016, when appointment letters and joining reports were issued.
{{/usCountry}}“The above-mentioned people forged documents and were working with the health department, drawing salaries since 2016 and causing financial loss to the salary section,” the FIR stated. It added that the crime dates back to May 25, 2016, when appointment letters and joining reports were issued.
{{/usCountry}}At the time of their recruitment, the monthly salary of an X-ray technician was around ₹30,000, which has since increased to about ₹50,000.
The FIR has been registered under IPC sections 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471.
A day before the director general medical health Dr RPS Suman had reviewed the fact-finding reports submitted by CMOs of the six districts. Based on their inputs, the FIR was lodged, followed by a high-level meeting at the health directorate on Monday.
Employee bodies have demanded that the matter be handed over to an external agency. Ashok Kumar, general secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Chikitsa Swasthya Mahasangh, said, “Apart from health officials, the probe should involve an external agency so that the root of the forgery can be nailed.”