Chandigarh/3 Augus /Daljeet Ajnoha : The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Charanjit Kaur Cheema, former Registrar, Punjab Nursing Registration Council (PNRC), a retired Principal, Nursing Training School Gurdaspur and Dr. Arvinderveer Singh Gill, a resident of Basant Vihar, Hoshiarpur after investigation of a complaint lodged against them.
Giving detailed information in this regard, an official spokesperson of the VB said the PNRC was entrusted by the state government to administer nursing colleges/institutions established in Punjab for allowing them recognitions, allocation of seats and conducting ANM and GNM courses/examinations. During investigation of a complaint received about committing fraud in the admissions and examinations, it was found that K.D. College of Nursing, Mahilpur, in Hoshiarpur district has got recognition from Indian Nursing Council New Delhi dated 25.09.2019 and from PNRC through the letter dated 29.11.2012 whereas much before the recognition of this college, the admission forms and receipt numbers were found to be issued by the PNRC Mohali.
He revealed that the admission forms pertaining to 5 roll numbers were received from this college but these admission forms/roll numbers were issued to Princeton Institute of Nursing Gurdaspur by the PNRC. The fake admission list of these 5 students was prepared much before the college was recognized in October 2012 and on the basis of this admission list, a cut list regarding these roll numbers was issued on the receipt of the examination forms and examination fees of these students.
Apart from this, an admission list of 27 students belonging to G.R.D. International Institute of Nursing Tanda Urmur, Hoshiarpur had been prepared and uploaded on the website by PNRC. After this, in the revised list of 30 students of this college, the admissions on 2 roll numbers were mentioned through KD College of Nursing, Mahilpur.
The spokesperson further added that in this way, the admissions of students of the above said two colleges, cut lists issued regarding these roll numbers and transfers/adjustment of students had taken place during the deployment of a dealing hand of examination branch of PNRC.
Apart from this, the administration of Marok College of Nursing and Medical Sciences, Kaithal Road, Taipur, Patiala and Dr. Arvinderveer Singh Gill, had provided names, addresses and documents of 15 students of K.D. College of Nursing Mahilpur whose 2 years ANM course fees were fixed at Rs 40,000 per student. The former principal of K.D. College of Nursing Mahilpur had verified admission forms of these students. Concerned dealing hand of PNRC and Charanjit Kaur Cheema, Registrar, PNRC had not uploaded their names and details on PNRC website. Besides this, roll numbers were issued to these 15 students without depositing the requisite examination fees. After taking the examinations of these students, the said registrar of PNRC had prepared the results of a total of 20 students of the K.D. College of Nursing Mahilpur, in which the names and addresses of 5 students were recorded, while the results of 15 students were mentioned only with the roll numbers.
The spokesperson further added that during the probe, it was found that the accused Charanjit Kaur Cheema, had colluded with the accused Dr. Arvinderveer Singh Gill and declared the results of the said 15 students after taking affidavits from students and getting the documents verified again from the former principal of K.D. College of Nursing Mahilpur. It was also found that this result was not signed by the dealing hand or the superintendent of the examination branch of the PNRC but by a data entry operator working on daily basis.
He informed that during the investigation, it has came to light that fake records were prepared and tampered with in the PNRC in connivance with above mentioned privately managed nursing colleges and the examinations of 15 students were conducted without the requisite admission forms, necessary examination forms and examination fees.
The spokesperson said that accused Charanjit Kaur Cheema, a resident of Ranjit Avenue (Kila Tek Singh), Batala, in Gurdaspur district, had submitted the bills after about 2 years to the PNRC regarding the use of government funds released for conducting examinations during her tenure as Registrar. On verification of these bills, receipts for total of Rs 1,53,900 were found to be fake and bills pertaining to expenditures for Rs 40,776 were suspicious. Similarly, the bills mentioned for labour costs of Rs.750 and vehicle rent of Rs.800, have the total amount of Rs.1550 only, but she claimed that expenditure as Rs.1940. Apart from this, Charanjit Kaur Cheema took the permission from the Chairperson for re-checking the papers pertaining to December 2013 examinations, while many papers were found to be re-checked without signatures and without taking any fees. The VB investigation has revealed that re-checking/re-valuation of January 2013 examination papers was found to be done without the approval of the Chairperson, original applications and required fees. Besides this, the records of this re-checking/re-valuation does not exist at PNRC. This during the thorough investigation, the allegations made in the complaint were found to be true.
On the basis of this investigation, the VB has registered case No. 16 dated 02.08.2024 against the said accused under sections 409, 420, 465, 467, 471, 201, 120-B of the IPC and section 13 (1)A read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act at VB Police Station, Jalandhar range. Both the arrested accused would be produced in the competent court tomorrow. VB teams have been dispatched to arrest the rest of the accused in this case. Further investigation of this case was under progress, he said.
