Ex-SMO, asst in Vigilance net for salary disbursement scam

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 31
The Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Dr Lakhwinder Singh Chahal, a retired Senior Medical Officer (SMO), and Ranjit Singh, a senior assistant at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Dhillwan, Kapurthala district.
The arrests followed an investigation into a salary disbursement scam amounting to Rs 14,46,550 at the Dhillwan PHC.
The investigation revealed that Rajwinder Singh, a clerk involved in the scandal and was served a 5-day notice, had a prior record of salary fraud at the Sub-Divisional Hospital in Baba Bakala, Amritsar district.
Rajwinder Singh was involved in a similar case back in 2013, leading to his transfer to PHC-Dhillwan by the Director of Health and Family Welfare Department, Punjab, in 2016.
Despite being aware of Rajwinder’s history, Dr Chahal allegedly assigned him, along with Ranjit, to manage salary accounts. The investigation uncovered that Rajwinder fabricated salary and dearness allowance bills of the employees who were on long leave. These forged documents were then countersigned by Ranjit Singh and approved by Dr Chahal.
The fraudulent bills were subsequently passed by the Bhulath treasury office, allowing Rajwinder to embezzle Rs 14,46,550, which he deposited into his bank accounts.
In response, the VB has registered a case against Dr Chahal, Ranjit, and Rajwinder under various sections of the IPC, including 409 (criminal breach of trust), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy). They are also charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB police station, Jalandhar.
Both Dr Chahal and Ranjit were presented in a court on Wednesday, where they were remanded to judicial custody.