Srinagar, Sep 19: The School Education Department in Kashmir was taken for a ride allegedly by a fake appointee who worked in the Government Boys Higher Secondary School Khag Budgam for eight months and draw salary.
 Sources in the Department told Greater Kashmir that Gulzar Ahmad Mir son of Ali Muhammad Mir of Bundgam in Budgam district approached the school Principal allegedly with a transfer order in December 2010. They said the transfer order showed his appointment as laboratory bearer in the school at an available vacancy.
 The order, they said was allegedly vetted by Chief Education officer (CEO) of the district on an official letter pad. 
 The letter stated “Gulzar’s earlier posting was at High school Zoogu in Beerwah.”
 “During his eight month stay in Higher Secondary School Khag, he received salary and other perks and the concerned officials failed to detect the fraud till August,” said an employee wishing anonymity.
 The official said that Principal or for that matter CEO Budgam never bothered to check his antecedents. “He (Gulzar) handed over his transfer order (ceob/estt/14115-17) Dated 5-1-2011 to Principal. The officials didn’t got the order verified with the district authorities which resulted in loss to the state exchequer,” official told Greater Kashmir adding “the CEO has taken a lenient view in this case by not lodging a formal complaint with Crime Branch to investigate the matter”.
 Sources said the fake appointee had maintained all the records including service book and Last Pay Certificate to keep the officials in dark. “After his transfer order, the school officials received his service book showing his appointment in the year 2007 under SRO-43. He had also attained GP fund account through forged signatures,” said Principal Boys Higher Secondary Khag, Ghulam Rasool Mir.
 The fraud, Mir said got detected following a clue about his (Gulzar’s) fake appointment. “We immediately swung into action by sending an enquiry team to Government School Zoogu. The team found that he had never worked there. Soon we termed his appointment as null and void,” he said.
 Admitting the case of fake appointment, Chief Education Officer, Abdul Rashid asserted that all the orders and signs were manipulated by the fake appointee.
 Asked why FIR has not been lodged in the case, he said the case had come to his notice on August 29. “We will handover the case to Crime branch. Preliminary investigations have revealed it as a fake appointment. All the signs from Deputy Commissioner to Chief Education officer have been manipulated by him,” he said.
 “We are investigating where he had worked earlier and we have given three days to the accused to present himself,” he added.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 IST