In a significant turn of events, Rajiv Kumar, alias Raju, has been arrested for duping cleaning staff in Chandigarh government schools. This follows immediate suspension orders for the principals and headmistresses of 10 schools due to their dereliction of duty.
The incident, which marks an unprecedented response from the UT education department, occurred after Kumar managed to infiltrate the schools and defraud cleaning staff. The suspensions come a day after police registered a case against him.
Previously, these 10 headmistresses and in-charges were suspended in May 2024 but were reinstated based on recommendations from a suspension review committee. The official order stated that the suspensions were enacted under Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965.
While the department did not disclose the specific schools involved, sources indicated they are located in the city’s peripheral areas, including three from Dhanas.
According to reports, Sunita, a resident of Dhanas, revealed that on January 4, Kumar approached her, claiming he had a tender to recruit 100 cleaners at DC rates across three schools. After informing her neighbors, about 12 individuals met with him at the Government Model High School, Dhanas, in search of jobs.
Sunita alleged that Kumar demanded Rs35,000 for each cleaning position and that he, along with his aunt Chanda Thakur, had defrauded approximately 40 unemployed women. Kumar presented himself as a contractor from Delhi, asserting he had received a contract from the Ministry of Health under the Swachh Bharat Mission, and at times claimed connections to the Chandigarh municipal corporation.
As the investigation continues, the UT education department stresses the importance of vigilance and accountability to prevent similar scams in the future.