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HC orders CBI probe into fake admissions

CHANDIGARH: More than three years after the Vigilance Bureau was directed to probe the scam revolving around the alleged siphoning of funds to non-existent 4 lakh students in government schools across the state, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

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Chandigarh, November 2

More than three years after the Vigilance Bureau was directed to probe the scam revolving around the alleged siphoning of funds to non-existent 4 lakh students in government schools across the state, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The Bench of first puisne Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Harinder Singh Sidhu asserted that the investigation being carried out was tardy and slow, which led to disappearance and destruction of evidence. The Bench noted that4 lakh non-existent students was a large number, which had caused immense loss to the exchequer.

“Accordingly, we are of the considered view that since the investigation after the registration of FIRs is very slow, the matter is required to be handed over to the CBI for proper, thorough and expeditious investigation,” the Bench asserted.

Speaking for the Bench, Justice Sharma directed the SIT to hand over the documents of the FIRs to the SP, CBI. “The CBI shall investigate the matter within a period of three months from today and thereafter, file challan in the competent court,” Justice Sharma added, while calling for a status report from the premier investigating agency. Dismissing a bunch of six appeals in the guest teachers’ case in May 2016, the High Court had ordered the probe after the Bench was told that computerisation of data and verification process had revealed about 4 lakh fake admissions.

The actual strength was about 18 lakh against registration of about 22 lakh students in different government schools across the state. The Bench was of the view that funds under schemes were disbursed even for non-existent students. Directing the fixing of responsibility, the Bench had at that time asserted that the action taken should commensurate the guilt proved “so that the same has deterrent effect on the others”. The Bench had added that generally, officers or officials found guilty of serious charges, including corruption, were often let off with minor punishment. The Bench had expressed the hope that the state would be serious and set an example for the future “so that none dares to even think of these kinds of designs of corruption”. — TNS

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