The Hindu : New Delhi News : Army recruitment racket: Officer under scanner

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 02, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Army recruitment racket: Officer under scanner

By Devesh K. Pandey

NEW DELHI, JULY 1. A senior gazetted officer has been placed under the scanner for his suspected role in recruitments for the Army and para-military forces on the basis of allegedly forged documents. The racket was unearthed by the Special Staff of the South-West Delhi police a few days ago. A hunt has been launched for three employees at the Rampura Sub-Divisional Magistrate's (SDM) office for their suspected involvement in the racket.

In his statement to the police, the prime accused, Vijay, is learnt to have disclosed that he had got some of the forged documents attested by a gazetted officer working at Nirman Bhavan. Vijay further disclosed that the gazetted officer, who charged Rs. 200 per attestations, frequented the Rampura SDM office where he operated as a tout. In a similar case last year, a Deputy Director with the Union Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs, having his office in Krishi Bhavan, was arrested for allegedly attesting forged documents on the basis of which several people were inducted into the Army. The police are verifying Vijay's disclosure by crosschecking with the records of the Rampura SDM office. Apart from the role of the two staff members of that office, the role of a bailiff, whose job is to personally verify the residential addresses of candidates applying for jobs in the Army and the para-military forces on the basis of secret verification forms sent to the Deputy Commissioner and then to the SDM office, is also being probed. All the three suspects have not shown up despite a notice to the SDM office to produce them for assistance in the investigations.

It is learnt that the police are also probing the suspected involvement of those working at the Hauz Khas and Najafgarh SDM offices, from where caste and other certificates were purportedly issued to the candidates who had approached the Vijay gang. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-West Delhi), Deependra Pathak, said more arrests in the case were likely.

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