Imphal, Aug. 29: The Manipur vigilance commission is likely to recommend a major penalty against Phurailatpam Nandakumar Sharma, a senior state government employee, who was shot at by a militant outfit yesterday.

Militants of the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) pumped a bullet into the left knee of Sharma, joint secretary of the Board of Secondary Education Manipur, now under suspension.

The outfit found the official “guilty” of several irregularities, including the illegal appointment of employees on contract basis, irregular promotion of staff members and swindling lakhs of rupees while he was the secretary in-charge of the board.

The official is now admitted to a private hospital in Imphal. His condition is said to be serious. Sharma has not responded to the outfit’s charges.

An official source said the vigilance commission was already looking into the charges against the senior official before the militants carried out their vigilante justice.

“The charges we are now looking into are almost the same as those levelled by the militant outfit. The inquiry began after a student organisation lodged a complaint against the official last year, the source said.

The Okram Ibobi Singh government placed Sharma under suspension following the complaint. The inquiry is in progress and the findings of the probe will be submitted to the government very soon. “The vigilance commission is likely to recommend a major penalty against the official,” the source said.

The state government is yet to come out with an official reaction to the rebel allegations and the attack on the official. Police said they have registered a case and investigations are on.