Jammu: The Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) Tuesday produced a charge-sheet against a former Chief Education Officer (CEO) and three other officials.
A statement of ACB issued here said that it produced a charge-sheet against the a former CEO (now retired) Tarsem Lal; former Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Chowki Choura, Jammu, Ram Rakha; former Headmaster, Government High School Mallah (now retired) Sheru Ram, and a Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) Priti Rani.
The statement said that ACB produced the charge-sheet in the case under FIR No 29/2017 PS VOJ (now ACB Jammu) under section 5 (1) (d) r/w 5 (2) J&K PC Act Svt 2006 and 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code.
It said that the case was registered on the outcome of a verification conducted into the allegations on receipt of a complaint lodged by one Kasturi Lal of Malla, Karah Balli, Jammu against Sheru Ram and others that these public servants had misused their official positions for extraneous consideration to give undue benefit to one Priti Rani of Mallah, Karah Jammu for appointing her as ReT in Government High School Mallah against a vacancy meant for an ALC candidate.
The statement said that the accused Rani at the time of advertisement of the post as well as at the time of joining did not possess a valid ALC certificate.
It said that the investigation conducted had revealed that to confer undue benefit upon Rani, the then CEO, Jammu, Tarsem Lal, by abuse and misuse of his official position as public servant vide endorsement No CEOJ/7931 dated 28 May 2014 forwarded the order to ZEO, Chowki Choura.
The statement said that the ZEO Chowki Choura who was well aware of the facts that neither Rani had submitted valid ALC certificate at the time of submission of application form nor thereafter but to confer undue benefit upon her by abuse and misuse of his official position as public servant issued engagement order vide No ZEO/CC/SSA/14-15/1468-71 dated 29 May 2014 of Rani as ReT against the post of ALC at Government High School, Mallah.
It said that the investigation revealed that pursuant to the order Rani joined at Government High School Mallah on 29 May 2014 but at the time of joining also failed to produce the requisite valid ALC certificate before the Headmaster Government High School, Mallah, Sheru Ram.
The statement said that in furtherance to the criminal conspiracy hatched, then Headmaster Government High School, Mallah accepted her joining report and allowed her to perform her duties.
It said that the offence of conspiracy got established when after joining, Rani was immediately transferred from this school to the office of CEO Jammu by the accused Tarsem Lal, the then CEO, Jammu.
It said that after completion of the investigation, the charge-sheet of the instant case for commission of offences under section 5 (1) (d) r/w 5 (2) J&K PC Act Svt 2006 and 120-B RPC against all the above named accused persons was presented before the Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Jammu for judicial determination on Tuesday.
The statement said that the next date of hearing in the case has been fixed for 4 September 2021 for further proceedings.