Fake SC/BC certificates: V-C among six to get HC notice
The Punjab and Haryana high court has issued notice of motion to six persons, including the Punjabi University vice-chancellor, in a civil writ petition pertaining to recruitment of assistant professors on basis of fake scheduled caste (SC) and backward class (BC) certificates.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has issued notice of motion to six persons, including the Punjabi University vice-chancellor, in a civil writ petition pertaining to recruitment of assistant professors on basis of fake scheduled caste (SC) and backward class (BC) certificates.
The court issued a notice of motion to find out whether any action had been taken on the inquiry report dated May 5, 2017. The notice was issued to six respondents — Punjabi University vice-chancellor, registrar; Punjab principal secretary; Patiala vigilance bureau ADGP and SSP; and director welfare of SCs and BCs.
The petitioner, Harvinder Singh Sandhu, moved the high court against Punjabi university for not taking any action or fixing responsibility after seven assistant professors were recruited on the basis of fake SC/BC certificates between 2007 and 2017.
Notably, following the resignation of former vice-chancellor (V-C) Jaspal Singh in March 2017, the then secretary higher education Anurag Verma was appointed officiating V-C. Verma had received complaints of alleged irregularities in the university’s functioning from 2007 to 2017.
On the basis of these complaints, Verma had ordered 14 internal inquiries in April, 2017, including a probe into such appointments by the varsity.
Sealed reports were handed over to incumbent V-C professor BS Ghuman in December, 2017. The V-C had formed a two-member committee, comprising of former IAS officer Jagjit Puri and former IPS officer VK Kapoor, to further investigate the internal inquiry reports.
The panel had submitted its sealed findings to the university in July, 2018.