Ex-official of Edu Dept gets 5-yr jail in graft case

Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, March 21

The Court of Additional Sessions Judge Dr Ajit Atri has sentenced former district manager of the Education Department, Anil Kumar Sharma (67), a resident of Mohalla Kanri, Malerkotla, Sangrur district, in a corruption case.

He was facing accusation of embezzling Rs 97,40,979 while supplying/selling books during his posting at the Regional Office here. The court has ordered him to undergo five-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) with a fine of Rs 20,000.

A case was registered against the accused on the complaint of Gurinder Pal Singh, the then Secretary, Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), Sahibzada Singh Nagar (Mohali).

The complainant had stated that the board developed different regional offices in Punjab, wherein district managers used to collect examination forms and examination fees from students, besides supplying books related to the Block and Welfare Department/Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in the district concerned and selling books at regional offices.

The head office situated at SAS Nagar, Mohali, used to conduct audit of the supplied/sold books by sending different audit teams to regional offices and if any discrepancy comes to the light, appropriate action was taken as per rules. The teams were sent to the Regional Office, Ludhiana, and from audits conducted by them from time to time as well as from reports produced, a total loss of Rs 97,40,979 was found in the sale and supply of books during the period, from April 1, 2009, to August 31, 2012.

Besides, bills amounting to Rs 16,00,000 for the books supplied to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan through the Regional Office during academic year 2011-2012 and for books supplied to the Welfare Department and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan during 2010-2011 were sent to Anil Kumar Sharma, district manager, Regional Office, Ludhiana, on various occasions but he did not apprise the head office of the same. Hence, a departmental inquiry was initiated against him and store keeper Ravinder Sharma and both were found guilty, the complainant added.

During the trial, the suspect pleaded innocene but after appreciating the evidence of the prosecution, the court found him guilty. The case against co-accused Ravinder is yet to be decided.

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