Scientist gets 2-year RI over forged caste certificate

xpress news service

Posted online: Sunday , February 03, 2008 at 01:26:58
Updated: Sunday , February 03, 2008 at 01:44:14

New Delhi, February 2 A court today sentenced a 45-year-old scientist to two years’ rigorous imprisonment (RI) for cheating the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) authorities by furnishing a forged caste certificate for securing a job. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Kanwaljeet Arora held Sher Singh, working as Grade-B scientist at NPL, guilty under Sections 420 (cheating) and 471 (using forged document as genuine) of IPC. He also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 on him.

“Keeping in view the facts and circumstances, I am of the opinion that the prosecution has been able to prove its charges against Singh and accordingly sentenced him to two years’ RI which best suited to his crime,” the ACMM said in a recent order.

The CBI alleged in the chargesheet that after getting a computer engineering degree from Delhi College of Engineering in 1995, Singh cheated NPL authorities for getting appointment as scientist-B, under ST category, on the basis of his forged certificate. Singh allegedly got the job solely on the relaxed criteria, as he was the only candidate who had applied for the job under ST category. It was purportedly issued by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Shahadara in 1992.

Singh, in his defence, failed to prove on record that he belongs to Scheduled Tribe category. After evading arrest for a long time, Singh was finally apprehended on February 2004, at Raja Sansi Airport in Amritsar.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Scientist-gets-2year-RI-over-forged-caste-certificate/268463/