Punjab: Month on, little progress made in PPSC recruitment scam case

Tribune News Service

Aman Sood

Patiala, February 4

Almost over a month-and-a half after the Vigilance Bureau registered an FIR in a 15-year-old corruption case, whose inquiry was completed nine years ago, VB officials are yet to identify the medical officers who paid bribes to get through. Barring the arrest of a former PPSC member, who was named as accused, the VB officials failed to arrest the other members who were also accused but had now joined the investigations.

As many as 32 medical officers, who got the job allegedly by paying bribe, are under the scanner. The VB officials in December 2023 arrested former MLA Satwant Mohi, who was later released on bail.

Sources say that not much has come to the fore ever since the FIR was registered as the accused medical officers who allegedly paid bribes or used their clout were summoned for questioning. “Instead of going by the SIT report which enabled the FIR to be registered, the VB officials have transferred the investigations from one DSP to another. Besides, not much has been done, despite evidence on record based on the SIT report concluded by two senior officers and accepted by the high court,” they said.

Sources say that the VB has names of 32 medical officers, who were recruited through PPSC after submitting fake social service certificates to get more marks. “Some of these officers are now in service and have been promoted. But it does not mean that they will be spared. We will grill all accused in the case,” said a top official.

Interestingly the SIT report, on the basis of which the case had been registered, also mentioned how six rejected candidates made it to the civil services. While three of them cleared the IPS, two got selected as IAS officers. Another rejected candidate later made it to the Indian Revenue Services.

The SIT comprised two members MS Baali, Joint Commissioner, CBI (retd) and Suresh Arora, the then Director General, Vigilance, who submitted its report in 2014 in the court, proving that the selection of doctors in 2008-09 was ‘full of blatant irregularities’.

The accused include late SK Sinha, ex-PPSC chairman, late Brig DS Grewal (retd), Dr Mohi, DS Mahal, Ravinder Kaur, daughter-in-law of former minister Lal Singh, and Anil Sarin, BJP spokesperson, all former PPSC members.

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