10 booked for alleged fraud at Ambala Govt PG College

The State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has booked 10 individuals, including former and current principals, three associate professors and four vendors, in a case relating to alleged large-scale corruption, procurement violations and misappropriation of funds at Government PG College, Ambala Cantonment.

The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by a former associate professor of the college. In his detailed representation, the complainant alleged procurement and billing fraud, misuse of government grants, unauthorised construction and safety violations on the campus. The allegations range from the use of fake GST numbers and bogus firms to evasion of SGST and CGST, mismatched seller addresses across invoices and bypassing mandatory procurement norms.

According to the complaint, several purchases were made without using the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) despite the availability of items on the platform. The complainant further alleged “large-scale corruption” in purchases and developmental works undertaken since 2021, including the “misuse of Rs 2 crore in State Central Library Grant” and construction of rooms or buildings inside the campus without following PWD protocols.

The Department of Higher Education had constituted a fact-finding committee to examine the allegations. As per the FIR, the committee verified GST numbers of vendors and examined the nature of items the firms were registered to sell. Its report concluded that the concerns raised “cannot be ignored as baseless.”

The committee noted “a possibility of large-scale fraud/embezzlement involving criminal conspiracy,” recommending field verification and a full-fledged probe by the Anti-Corruption Bureau or another independent agency. It also advised that the then bursar — now serving as principal — be shifted from the college “for the safety of the record” until the inquiry is completed.

Those booked include two former principals, the current principal, three associate professors and four vendors. Another former principal named in the complaint had passed away earlier this year.

The accused faculty members, however, strongly refuted the allegations. They claimed the complainant, who served at the college from 2017 to 2023 before being transferred “on administrative grounds,” had a history of complaints against him. “There had been various complaints against the associate professor during his tenure here and the principals and the faculty members against whom the allegations have been levelled were among those who had made recommendations against the associate professor (complainant) in their inquiry reports. He was charged and penalised by the government in cases of moral turpitude with women in the past,” they said.

They added that all development works had been executed with due approvals: “All the development work were carried out after getting due sanctions from the higher authorities and approval of the college council… All the documentary proofs and original bills are available and will be produced during the investigation.”

The complainant, now posted in Karnal, countered that the allegations against him were retaliatory. “After observing various irregularities… I started raising objections, following which I was targeted and false complaints of sexual harassment were made just to create pressure on me and get me transferred… I have all the proof of the misappropriation of funds,” he said, adding that he had escalated the matter to the Chief Secretary and approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. “I will continue to raise my voice against the corrupt practices.”