Graft case: Chargesheet filed against welfare officer

Ravneet Singh

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Patiala, January 5

A district social welfare officer at the Department of Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities, Punjab, is under scrutiny for allegedly bribing a complainant to silence a case against a government employee accused of using a fake caste-based certificate for a job.

The department has now filed a chargesheet against Ravinderpal Singh, District Social Welfare Officer, Mohali. The action comes after an inquiry was conducted on a complaint filed by a Patiala resident.

The district social welfare officer was probing a matter of a fake caste-based certificate used by a government teacher to get a job. Complainant Balvir Singh claimed the officer accepted a bribe from the teacher to prepare a favourable report and later bribed the complainant to silence him on the matter. Balvir then submitted details of a transaction of Rs 50,000 made by the officer to his friend’s account for the purpose.

Deputy Director Sarbjinder Singh Randhawa who conducted the inquiry pointed out that the officer along with his friend and property dealer Harpreet Singh also prepared a fake story regarding the transaction of Rs 50,000 to subvert the claim.

Tej Kumar Goyal, Director, Social Justice Department, added that the welfare officer had prepared a report regarding the school teacher’s certificate with malafide intention and bribed the complainant to remain silent. He suggested that the officer be suspended and an FIR be registered against him. He said an inquiry against the government teacher should also be conducted.

The director said, “The office has issued the officer a chargesheet and sought his reply in a time-bound manner.”

Complainant ‘bribed’

Ravinderpal Singh, District Social Welfare Officer, Mohali, was probing a matter of a fake caste-based certificate used by a government teacher to get a job. Compainant Balvir Singh claimed the officer accepted a bribe from the teacher to prepare a ‘favourable’ report and later bribed the complainant to silence him on the matter.