Fake billing scam: 2 Punjabi varsity staffers among seven booked

PATIALA : Police on Monday registered a case against seven persons, including two Punjabi University employees, in the fake billing scam in the varsity.

The accused also include those shown as beneficiaries withdrawing funds through fake bills.

The seven who were booked are varsity employees Nishu Chaudhary, a senior assistant, and Jatinder Singh besides Akashdeep Singh, Sonu Kumar, Harpreet Singh, Vinay and Nisha Sharma.

In May, the varsity authorities had suspended two of its employees for their alleged involvement in the scam and then lodged a police complaint against the seven a month later.

Patiala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Garg had directed DSP Sourav Jindal to investigate the matter.

The case was registered under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 465 (for making forged documents), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged), 201 (tempering of evidences) and 381 (theft) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

DSP Jindal said, “The FIR was lodged on the basis of a preliminary inquiry. Now, detailed investigation will be carried into the matter. The accused will be arrested soon.”

In May, the cash-strapped university’s internal audit department and finance wing had red-flagged five bills amounting to ₹6 lakh.

The stamp and signatures of the department head were found to be fake and the names of research scholars and assistants against whom the bills were raised also turned out to be bogus.