IEP Chandigarh, February 5
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing investigations into the 2008-09 recruitment scam of Medical Officers (MO) conducted by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), has requested the State Government to take appropriate action against the erring candidates through the Police Department as recommended by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the High Court. Subsequently, on December 19, 2023, the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare has asked the Police to take necessary steps in this case. Meanwhile, the VB, having filed two cases at its Patiala range police station, is actively pursuing further investigations.
Disclosing this here today an official spokesperson of the state VB said the High Court had appointed a SIT comprising MS Bali, IPS (Retd), Joint Director, CBI and Suresh Arora, the then Chief Director of VB, to examine this scam. The SIT had recommended filing cases under sections 120-B, 420, 468, and 471 of the IPC against candidates who utilized forged certificates for claiming social work weightage in the medical field. The VB, on December 15, 2023, has urged the State Government to initiate cases against such MOs through the Police department.
Providing additional details, the spokesperson stated that in compliance with the directives received from the Punjab Government on December 14, 2023, the VB registered two cases related to this recruitment scam. An FIR No. 45 dated December 18, 2023, at the VB Police Station, Patiala, has been filed under sections 13(i)(a) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and sections 409 and 120B of IPC against the then members of PPSC for conspiracy and criminal misconduct during the MOs selection process.
Furthermore, another FIR No. 46 dated December 18, 2023, at the VB Police Station, Patiala, under sections 13(i)(a) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, has been registered against Dr. Satwant Singh Mohi, the then member of PPSC, for accumulating disproportionate assets, as reported by the SIT to the High Court.
The spokesperson revealed that the SIT, supervised by the Senior Superintendent of Police, VB, Range Patiala, is actively conducting further investigations in both the cases. In FIR No. 45/2023, Dr. Satwant Singh Mohi was arrested by the VB on December 19, 2023. The other three accused in this case, namely D.S. Mahal, Ravinder Kaur, and Anil Sarin, have received interim protection from arrest from the HC, with a directive to join the investigation. Consequently, all the above mentioned accused have complied and joined the ongoing investigation.
