Over 40 booked for providing false documents to get old age pension in Shimla district

As many as 44 persons have been booked for providing false documents for securing old age social security pension at a village in Chirgaon tehsil of Shimla district.

Old age social security pension is provided to senior citizens in Himachal Pradesh with an aim to provide them financial security and assistance. Under the old age pension, individual aged 60 to 69 are provided an assistance of Rs 850 to Rs 1,000 while citizens above the age of 70 are provided a financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,700.

According to the FIR, the police received an email from the District Welfare Officer, Kapil Sharma, who alleged that between 2021 to 2025, panchayat representatives of Tangnu Janglik Gram Panchayat under Chirgoan had fraudulently sanctioned pension benefits to several people, through false documents such as birth certificates.

The complainant also alleged that upon scrutiny of the documents, tampering was also found in the copies of the family register.

Taking swift action, the police registered an FIR under Sections 318(4), 338, 336(3), 340 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and initiated ann investigation.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Shimla, Gaurav Singh confirmed the report and said further investigation was going on.