Booked for issuing backdated licences, PCS officer told to oversee RTA work

JALANDHAR: A PCS officer , who is facing a case of cheating and other sections registered against him for allegedly issuing driving licences in back-date during his tenure as Faridkot Regional Transport Authority (RTA) in February this year has been asked to take care of Jalandhar RTA work.

Hardeep Singh is posted as assistant commissioner (General) in Jalandhar and is out on bail in the cheating case.

RTA Jalandhar secretary Barjinder Singh is under home isolation, after testing positive for covid-19 and is likely to join back after 10 days.

Officialdom seemed evasive on who gave Hardeep the charge. Jalandhar deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said he had not given additional charge of RTA to Hardeep Singh, as the matter didn’t fall under his purview, but he (Hardeep) was asked to supervise the work as previously he had worked as the RTA and launched the work of the office.

State transport commissioner Amarpal Singh said, “Please talk to the deputy commissioner, as he has given the charge (to Hardeep Singh) at his level only.”

Sangrur DSP (investigation) Mohit Aggarwal who is supervising the case of the back-dated licences said a district and sessions court had granted bail to Hardeep.

“He, however, remains an accused. We will file the chargesheet in the case soon.”

Hardeep and his assistant transport officer Gurnam Singh and several others have been booked under Sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) at Longowal police station, Sangrur.

Hardeep Singh didn’t respond to repeated calls from HT.