One arrested in counterfeit slip case, gets bail

In a decisive action, the police arrested Nalagarh resident Sandeep Singla, the brother of a civil supplies depot holder, in connection with the printing of counterfeit donation slips in the name of the Shoolini Mela Committee.

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Police investigations revealed that Sandeep had ordered the printing of the fake slips from a local printing press. After preliminary interrogation, he was released on bail. The case has raised serious concerns about the transparency of administrative processes and the misuse of the name of a government establishment. The concerned officer of the Food and Civil Supplies Department and the printing press operator are also under police investigation, as the officer had reportedly asked the depot holder to collect donations.

However, after the depot holder lost the original slip, his brother, fearing backlash from officials, had an exact copy prepared and proceeded to get 1,200 more fake slips printed from the local press.

When the Solan DC got wind of the matter, an investigation was launched. During a police raid at the printing press in Nalagarh on Friday night, 1,294 slips were recovered. These slips were printed in the name of the “Shoolini Mela Committee Solan” and included the DC Solan’s mobile number, email ID, and scanner code. When one of the slips (number 7201) was scanned, it revealed details linked to the DC-cum-Chairman’s account, further deepening the gravity of the fraud. Moreover, the name of the printing press was missing from the slips—contrary to legal requirements.

According to police sources, Sandeep claimed he did not intend to commit fraud but panicked due to the unavailability of the original slip. However, his statement is being taken with a pinch of salt. The police are also investigating the role of the Food and Civil Supplies officer who issued the original slip. Officials stated that the proper procedure after losing the slip would have been to contact the issuing officer and obtain a replacement through legal means—not to mass-produce fake ones.

SHO Rakesh Roy confirmed Sandeep’s arrest and subsequent release on bail. Meanwhile, the case has cast a shadow on the district administration’s eagerness to collect donations, especially as expenditure on the three-day state-level fair continues to rise drastically each year.