Office furniture and computers of district education officer (secondary) Harbans Singh were auctioned and his Axis Bank account sealed over his "failure" to clear the dues of a retired superintendent.
The auction and sealing came on the order of Bathinda chief judicial magistrate, Harjit Singh after retired superintendent Kishori Lal of Bathinda lodged a complaint.
Lal had worked in Mansa district for a long time. So to recover his dues, the CJM ordered the auction of a photostat machine, two computers, 10 cabinets, 10 tables, and 20 chairs in the DEO's office. The officer had failed to clear retirement benefits of around Rs 2 lakh of Lal.
The complainant retired in 2005 from the Mansa district education office, and after a long but unsuccessful struggle to get his dues, filed a case in Bathinda.
After the court orders, an officer Satpal Singh took office materials into custody for auction and sealed the DEO's bank account.
DEO Harbans Singh denied that his bank account was sealed. "The matter was pending with my predecessor, Harkawaljit Kaur, when I joined here a few months ago," he said. "We will now clear the litigant's dues within 10 days."
{{/usCountry}}DEO Harbans Singh denied that his bank account was sealed. "The matter was pending with my predecessor, Harkawaljit Kaur, when I joined here a few months ago," he said. "We will now clear the litigant's dues within 10 days."
{{/usCountry}}"I worked in the department for eight years," said Lal, "but the DEO didn't forward the files of my increment and dues. After my retirement in 2005, I filed a case," he said.