HC orders probe into 4 lakh fake admissions in Haryana schools

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday ordered vigilance probe into 4 lakh fake admissions in Haryana schools.

The order was passed by high court bench of justice Rajesh Bindal and justice HS Sidhu as it was dissatisfied over the handling of the issue by the state government.

The education department has been asked to assist vigilance in probing the matter and vigilance has been told to conduct probe under the supervision of a superintendent of police (SP) level official, the lawyers associated with the case said. The four lakh fake admissions had come to light during a computerisation drive by education department in March, 2016. The department had been claiming enrolment of 22 lakh students in different classes of government schools. However, after computerisation drive only 18 lakh students were found, as per reports.

The high court in May 2016 had asked the state government to get the probe conducted by a senior officer and enquiry was to be completed by November 2016. However, the government got the probe done by a retired district and sessions judge. In November, when it came to the knowledge of the court, the report was put in abeyance.

In March, 2017, it had come to light that a committee was constituted by the government following fresh probe order by high court after November 2016 hearing and officials were tasked with completing it within seven days. But the matter was put again on the backburner and no action taken till March.

“The intention seems not to hold enquiry. The reason can be well imagined,” the court had observed in one of the hearings summoning additional chief secretary, education, PK Das. He was present during hearing on Monday and Wednesday.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the high court bench had summoned advocate general BR Mahajan as well apprising about the handling of issue by the education department. Mahajan too suggested that matter can be examined by vigilance.