Imphal, May 29: Two more officials of the state education department faced a banned militant group?s punishment for their involvement in an appointment scam, unearthed recently by the outfit.
Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) rebels paraded the two officials, Khumukcham Ahanjao Singh and Moirangthem Subhas Chandra Singh, before a group of media persons in Imphal West this afternoon.
The officials were then shot at and freed.
While Ahanjao is a lower division clerk at the head office of the school education directorate in the state capital, Subhas Chandra is a teacher in Chothe Government Junior High School in Churachandpur district.
A special investigation team of the outfit?s ?operation new Kangleipak? found them guilty of issuing illegal appointment orders.
A spokesperson for the KYKL told reporters that the two officials had collected Rs 20 lakh from 41 individuals to whom fake appointment orders were issued in January this year.
While Ahanjao collected Rs 9.5 lakh, Subhas Chandra received Rs 10.5 lakh.
The two allegedly forged the signature of the director in collusion with a senior accountant of the department. The accountant, who is posted in Churachandpur, is currently under suspension for his involvement in another scam.
The KYKL action came close on the heels of meting out similar punishment to three other officials of the same department on May 18 for issuing fake appointment orders to 49 teachers. The officials were suspended after a preliminary departmental inquiry.
An official source said the departmental inquiry detected that at least 45 of the 49 teachers were drawing Rs 7,500 per month in salary before the KYKL netted them for holding fake appointment orders.
Apart from the three officials, two deputy inspectors of school and one assistant inspector of school, all posted in Churachandpur district, a fourth official was also placed under suspension after the recent KYKL allegation.
An official source said the teacher and clerk shot by the outfit today would be suspended if the charges against them were found true.
The KYKL exposure comes at a time when a House committee of the Manipur Assembly is probing allegations of fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 12 crore by some officials of the department on the pretext of paying arrears to retired head masters and head pundits of government primary schools.
On the basis of findings of the House committee and separate inquiries conducted by the State Vigilance Commission and also by the office of the accountant general, altogether 23 officials, including one additional director, were placed under suspension since last week.
Officials said criminal proceedings would be initiated against the suspended officials after the ongoing departmental inquiry was completed.
The series of action against the officials by the KYKL is part of its campaign against corruption and malpractice in the education department.
