Nagpur: At a time when the Income Tax Department has induced anxiety among the taxpayers for its close tab on income generated through corrupt means, the department itself has come under scanner. As many as 12 IT department staffers are caught in the job fraud and have been booked by the Anti-Corruption Wing of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Nagpur. These people have been booked for fraudulently obtaining jobs of Stenographer and multi-tasking staffers (MTS) at the Office of Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Nagpur.
CBI officers also booked some persons attached to Staff Selection Commission along with these accused on charges of criminal misconduct, criminal conspiracy, cheating, cheating by personation, forgery, making a false document, forgery, forgery for the purpose of cheating and using forged documents as genuine.
The accused have been identified as Rinki Yadav, Ashish Kumar, both Stenographers (Grade-D), Multi-tasking staff members including Sarita (Presently posted at the office of IncomeTax Office, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan), Anil Kumar, Rahul Kumar, Abhay Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, Chandan Kumar, Pradeep Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Manish Kumar, Dharmendra Kumar (all from Income Tax (I-T) Department, Nagpur, and other officials of Staff Selection Commission. During 2012 to 2014, two stenographers and 10 MTS had applied to Staff Selection Commission for recruitment in their respective posts.
These people have reportedly deceived the invigilators during the exam of Staff Selection Commission through interposing and mixing their photographs with the photographs of dummy candidates by manipulation and also by writing their names in a simplified manner, as their signatures.
Dummy candidates impersonating the candidates appeared in the written test and skill test. As their photographs were mixed with the photographs of the candidates, the invigilators could not detect impersonation. After selection, the actual candidates joined in their place of posting without any cross verification.
The test for the post of Stenographer consisted of two papers -Paper I consisting of Reasoning ability, Numerical aptitude, General English and General Awareness and Paper-Il consisting of Stenography test. Only those candidates who qualified the Paper-I were eligible for Paper ll. Staff Selection Commission had issued separate Admit Cards for both the papers, containing two portions. One portion was to be collected by the invigilator during the examination, with the Specimen Signatures and left-hand Thumb Impression (LTI) of the appearing candidates and the other portion was to be retained by the candidates. The invigilators were also required to take the LTI and signatures of the candidates at the examination hall in the Attendance Sheet.
The specimen writing of the candidates in two- three lines were also obtained at the time of examination.The dummy candidates appeared in one of the tests either in written examination or the skill examination for stenography. The probe revealed that there was difference in the LTIs in both the admit cards. Similarly, test for recruitment of MTS consisted of two papers. Paper-I consisting of Reasoning Ability, Numerical Aptitude, General English and General Awareness and Paper-Il for writing of short essay or letter.
The candidates had to first qualify in Paper-I to become eligible for Paper-ll. For the test also, separate Admit Cards were issued and as in case of stenography examination, in this case also the Invigilator was required to take LTI and signatures of the candidates during the test both on the Attendance Sheet as well as admit cards. Specimen writing of the Candidate was also obtained at the time of examination.
The bureau officers noticed certain discrepancies in both the admit cards and specimen writings of the candidates who were selected for respective posts, which clearly proves that the selected candidates had not appeared in the examination and were selected by fraudulent manner. Moreover, some officials of Staff Selection Commission without verifying the discrepancies issued appointment letters to candidates.
These Staff Selection Commission officials abused their position to benefit fraudulent selection of these candidates. An offence under Sections 120-B, 416, 417, 420, 464, 465, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13(2), read with 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused persons. Superintendent of Police (CBI) Vijayendra Bidari is supervising further investigations in the case.
