Imphal, September 14: Yet another case of fraudulent withdrawal of money has been unearthed in the Education Department with three teachers forging the signature of an official to draw a GPF amount.

Interestingly one of the three teachers was later detected to be a fake appointee.

The case dates back to 2003 when the three teachers under Lilong DI together withdrew an amount of Rs 2.17 lakhs forging the signature of a Department official.

The said official named as T Thangjasiam was yet to take charge as Joint Secretary when the GPF amount was withdrawn by the trio in March the same year by forging his signature.

Significantly, an order issued under the signature and stamp of the official cleared procedural hurdle in withdrawing the amount, said an informed source.

Thangjasiam assumed charge as the Joint Secretary two months after the withdrawal, it said while naming the three teachers as Md Fajur Rahman of Lilong Primary Madrasa, Md Azijur Rehman of Nunglei Lower Primary School and Md Abdul Haque of Haoreibi Mayai Leikai Primary Madrasa.

The amount withdrawn by the three are Fajur Rahman - Rs 87,000 (A/C 13256), Azijur Rehman - Rs 95,000 (A/C 7185) and Abdul haque - Rs 35,000 (AC 23213).The fraudulent withdrawal case was detected when Vigilance Department sleuths scoured the records of the Education Department, said the source and informed that the Joint Secretary issued an order mentioning the trio as having crossed 15/20 years in service.

Taking serious note of the case, the Minister concerned recently ordered a probe to ascertain the matter during which it came to light that one of the three teachers involved in the case had retired, another still in service while the third is not enrolled in the Department at all.

Education Minister Francis Ngajokpa had ordered an FIR against the three and initiate appropriate action.

Inspite of the Chief Minister asking the Education Dept to suspend the three by August on being intimated by the Education Minister and Chief Secretary the department is yet to process such an action, added the source.

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