Srinagar, July 10: In a damage control exercise, the Kashmir University authorities Wednesday “disengaged” the casual labourer accused of having made a number of fake appointments allegedly in lieu of money. The administrative action came a day after news reports exposed the varsity’s week-long indecision to act against the employee, who has been arrested by police for issuing several fake appointment orders.
 While insiders argue that the University kept the sensitive issue under wraps for over a week to avoid police interference, it acted promptly on Wednesday, albeit only after the issue made it to public circles.
 In a clarification to media organizations, a KU spokesman said: “It is clarified here that the University had initiated an enquiry into the allegation suo motto in absence of any formal complaint in this regard. A three-member enquiry committee had been constituted, under the chairmanship of Chief Proctor to investigate the matter and come up with the facts for further action. Meanwhile, Police station Nigeen has started an investigation and probe into this alleged case of fraud and cheat and have lodged an FIR under No. 75/2012 under section 420 (cheating) and section 468 (forged documents). Taking an immediate cognizance of the case, the accused has been immediately disengaged from his casual services at the University. The University will also initiate action as warranted under norms against any other person found involved in the case.”
 While a number of reports suggested that the accused casual labourer Javaid Ahmad worked in the Registrar Office and was a domestic help of the top official, the varsity claimed that accused has never worked in the Registrar`s office as has been “wrongly reported” in the newspapers—something which the insiders are not ready to digest.
 The University spokesman candidly admitted that “This is as an issue of handing over some fake appointment orders allegedly prepared by the accused and not a racket of fake appointment case in the University.” “No such persons as indexed in the fake order have been appointed in the University nor has anybody amongst them drawn any kind of salary from anywhere in the University. The order is totally fake as evidenced by the pattern of the order and the signatures of the issuing authority which seem to have been scanned from some official document.”
 Pertinently the issue surfaced a few days back with police lodging FIR No.75/2012 under Section 420 (cheating) and Section 468 (Forged documents) in the matter and starting investigation. “Actually a person named Fayaz Ahmad Mir son of Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Umer Colony approached us and said that the Casual Labourer (Javaid Ahmad) has taken Rs 1 lakh from him with the assurance to appoint him as a casual labourer in the KU. The employee has handed over appointment orders to him, and a few other people. We immediately started investigation in the matter. Yesterday evening we have lodged FIR in the matter,” the Sub Divisional Police Officer (Hazratbal), Sheikh Faisal, told this newspaper yesterday. “We are probing the matter thoroughly and in a day or two we should be in a position to divulge more information on the case. The casual labourer has named a few more employees of the University saying they are also involved in the matter.”
 Following the news reports, grapevine in the University suggested a likely change of administrative head in a few days.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 11 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST