The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has terminated the services of four contractual employees with immediate effect after departmental inquiries found them guilty of serious misconduct, including manipulation of official records using artificial intelligence, GPS attendance spoofing and dereliction of duty, an official said on Wednesday.
An inquiry found one sanitation inspector uploaded AI-edited images to falsely show civic complaints had been resolved. (HT Archive)
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The four employees were engaged through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited (HKRNL).
According to the order issued by the MCG commissioner, Pradeep Dahiya, two computer operators were removed from service after the inquiry found that they had been raising unnecessary objections in property ID and property tax cases in violation of the prescribed standard operating procedure (SOP).
Dahiya said the unwarranted objections delayed the disposal of genuine applications, causing inconvenience to residents seeking property-related services.
In another case, an assistant sanitation inspector appointed was dismissed after the inquiry found that he had allegedly used AI tools to edit photographs and upload them to the civic grievance portal to falsely indicate that public complaints had been resolved.
The fourth employee, also an assistant sanitation inspector, was removed after investigators found that he had allegedly used a GPS spoofing application to mark his attendance on the corporation’s digital attendance portal, even though he was absent from his assigned duty location.
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“Any employee found violating rules, indulging in fraud, neglecting official duties or misusing their position will face strict action in accordance with the law,” Dahiya said.
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“Any employee found violating rules, indulging in fraud, neglecting official duties or misusing their position will face strict action in accordance with the law,” Dahiya said.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
