Action has been taken in the exam scam at Rohtak’s Pandit BD Sharma University of Health Sciences (PGIMS). Two regular employees, including a computer operator Roshan Lal and assistant Rohit, have been dismissed from service for their involvement in the MBBS annual and supplementary exam scam. UHSR Vice Chancellor Professor HK Aggarwal confirmed the dismissal.
These PGI employees helped the students to take out the answer sheets, giving them a chance to rewrite the answers. In this case, Haryana Police has registered an FIR against 41 accused, including 24 students and 17 staff members. The dismissed employees have reportedly confessed to tampering with the answer sheets.
Revelation in January, FIR in February
Both employees were suspended after the revelations in January. By February, UHSR stepped up its response by registering an FIR against 41 individuals, including 24 MBBS students of a private college and 17 UHSR employees. Roshan Lal and Rohit were among those named in the FIR and were later arrested.
2 private college students involved
Police investigation is underway in the case, which involves students from two private colleges across the state, police sources involved in the investigation said. The university’s internal probe also revealed discrepancies between the marks recorded in the answer sheets and the award list, indicating possible tampering.
The termination order issued by the vice-chancellor cited statements made by the employees during police interrogation as the grounds for termination, saying they were “unfit to continue in service”.
What’s in the vice-chancellor’s order?
According to the order, Roshan Lal admitted to altering, substituting and manipulating the answer sheets as well as re-stitching them before re-submitting them. Besides, Rs 6 lakh was recovered from his house.
Despite being bound by standard operating procedures, he abused his position to commit fraud – conduct that is considered “totally inappropriate for a university employee”. Similar allegations were made in Rohit’s dismissal order.
If released from jail, they will intimidate witnesses
The vice chancellor’s order further said that since both the accused are currently in jail, it is feared that they or their associates may intimidate, threaten or pressurize witnesses testifying against them, thereby obstructing justice. After this, it is now likely that the police may object to the bail of these employees.
