Five former SDOs among 9 booked for embezzling ₹3 lakh in Sonepat

ROHTAK: The Sonepat police have booked nine persons, including five former sub-divisional officers (SDOs) of the animal husbandry department, for embezzlement over Rs 3 lakh in artificial insemination of cattle.

Those booked have been identified as former SDOs Dr Rajbir, Jogender, Surender, Het Ram and Jaswant, and assistant Jogender, Pawan, Subahsh and Surender Kumar under Sections 409 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The case date backs to June 2018, when the audit of animal husbandry department, Sonepat, was conducted and it was found that five SDOs had embezzled over Rs 3 lakh by not depositing the amount collected against slips for artificial insemination of cattle in Sonepat.

Complainant Dr Ritu Singh, a veterinary doctor at Sonepat, said, “Dr Jaswant Singh, then deputy director of animal husbandry, had constituted the committee to probe the case by including Dr Rajbir in the committee. Later, I shot off a letter to ADGP CID and demanded a probe into the matter.” She added, “The amount generated from slips of artificial insemination of animals should be deposited in the state exchequer within two days but the accused had not deposited the money. After my complaint, Jaswant had deposited Rs 70,000 as a lastditch effort to save himself.”

On her complaint, the chief minister’s flying squad and ADGP CID probed the case and found nine persons guilty of making fraud.

DSP Sonepat Ravinder said that they have booked all the accused under Sections 409 and 120-B of the IPC on the recommendations of chief minister’s flying squad and ADGP CID.

The police also registered another FIR against Dr Jaswant for submitting a fake scheduled caste certificateat Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, for taking admission in bachelor of veterinary sciences in 1986.

THE ACCUSED DID NOT DEPOSIT THE AMOUNT COLLECTED AGAINST SLIPS IN ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION OF CATTLE