Malerkotla: 7 booked for using fake papers to get teaching fellow post 16 years ago

Parvesh Sharma

Sangrur, October 12

The Malerkotla police last night registered a fraud case against seven women of the district. They had got jobs as ‘teaching fellows’ in Punjab Education Department (Elementary) in 2007 by producing fake experience and rural area certificates. Their services were later terminated.

On the complaint of senior authorities of the Education Department (Elementary), Malerkota city 1 police have registered an FIR under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 against the seven women.

Services terminated in 2009

• On September 5, 2007, the then Punjab Government started recruitment of 9,998 teaching fellows in 20 districts
• It soon came to light that many candidates had submitted bogus experience and rural areas certificates
• On August 6, 2009, the government got published in various newspapers the details of all such candidates who had used bogus certificates
• The government terminated the services of all such candidates in all districts on October 23, 2009

As per the information available, on September 5, 2007, the then Punjab Government had started recruitment of 9,998 teaching fellows in 20 districts of Punjab. The then Punjab Government had formed committees at the district level for recruitment and made District Education Officers (Elementary) chairmen of the committees.

During investigations by senior Education Department authorities, it came to light that many candidates had submitted bogus experience and rural areas certificates to get benefit as experience and rural area were given special marks during recruitment.

“On August 6, 2009, the government got published the details of all such candidates, who had used bogus certificates, in various newspapers. The government also gave a chance to all such candidates to appear before a committee at Panjab University, Chandigarh, to record their statements. After getting the details through the committee, the government terminated the services of all such candidates in all districts on October 23, 2009,” said an officer on the condition of anonymity.

Some other senior officers of Education Department informed The Tribune that a total of 563 candidates had appeared before the committee. Out of them, 457 had allegedly used bogus certificates. Though committee had decided to get FIR registered against all such candidates, the filing of many petitions in Punjab and Haryana High Court delayed the registration of FIR.

“We have registered a case against seven women last night,” said ASI Gulzar Singh who is investigating the case.