Ludhiana: Over 700 D-Pharmacy certificates issued by suspects, says Vigilance

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 20

In the ongoing probe into the issuing of D-Pharmacy certificates to ineligible candidates, the Vigilance Bureau (VB) found that over 700 fake certificates were issued by suspects.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Vigilance Bureau, Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu, said 17 suspects were arrested so far in the D-Pharmacy degree scam and several others were also on the radar of the Vigilance.

17 suspects arrested so far: SSP

Vigilance Bureau SSP Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu, said 17 suspects were nabbed so far in the D-Pharmacy degree scam and others were also on the radar of the Vigilance. The VB has also traced about 65 such beneficiaries, of which nine have already been arrested. Our special team will now trace all 700 persons who obtained fake D-Pharmacy certificates and they may face legal action.

“Our probe has found that the accused had issued over 700 D-Pharmacy certificates, of which maximum were issued before 2016. The VB has also traced about 65 such beneficiaries, of which nine have already been arrested. Our special team will now trace all 700 persons who obtained 700 fake D-Pharmacy certificates and they may face legal action,” Sandhu said.

The SSP said students had obtained admission to the D-Pharmacy course by possessing fake Class XII educational qualifications in medical or non-medical streams whereas Class XII had to be passed in regular mode and by attending science practicals.

“We have written to the higher education authorities for the cancellation of pharmacy degrees of students who had obtained the same by submitting fake certificates. Even several officials of various colleges might also face action who were hand in glove with the ineligible candidates,” he said.

Notably on January 15, the Vigilance Bureau (VB) had arrested four more suspects for admitting ineligible candidates and issuing D-Pharmacy degrees in a fraudulent manner in connivance with registrars and officials of the Punjab State Pharmacy Council (PSPC). The arrested persons included Gurpreet Singh Gill, owner, and Sarabjit Singh Brar, principal of the Adesh Institute of Medical Science and Research Bhatinda; RS Ramakodi, who was a principal at Lala Lajpat Rai College, Sehna, Barnala district, in 2013, and Baljinder Singh Bajwa, who was principal at the Lala Lajpat College of Pharmacy, Moga, in 2011. In the case, the VB has earlier arrested Parveen Kumar Bharadwaj and Dr Tejvir Singh, both former registrars of the PSPC, along with superintendent Ashok Kumar, had already been arrested. Besides, nine pharmacists had also been nominated and arrested in the case. So far, 17 suspects had been arrested.

In this regard the VB has already registered a criminal case on December 8, 2023, against the former registrars and officials of the PSPC for committing irregularities in facilitating admissions, registration and issuing licences of D-Pharmacy to the ineligible students studying in private colleges.

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