In what is turning out to be an embarrassing case for the state administration, gaining admission and gaining entry into Karai Training Academy, are raising questions. Two recent cases of aspirants having produced fake appointment letters to secure entry are now being used by the Opposition to target the state government’s complicity in the matter.
Only after the hue and cry raised by AAP leader Yuvrajsinh Jadeja’s claims of Rs 40 lakhs being paid for the trainee posts, the matter open up to official scrutiny. As of now, two PIs H.J. Gohil and D.M. Angari, responsible for verification of PSI trainees’ docu-check upon selection, and four Assistant Drill Inspectors —Vitan Patel, Hitesh Dangar, Parag Bhatt and Natha Patel (all of the rank of Police constables) — have been suspended.
It is now learnt that the “fake trainee,” Mayur Tadvi, learnt through his “contact in the police force” that a selected candidate from home district Godhra will not be joining the police force. Tadvi, who had failed the physical test, procured the appointment letter sent out to successful candidates and the list of selected candidates from one Mehul Karshan Rathwa.
He inserted his name in both the appointment letter and the list at a photo-copier shop in Vadodara and paid money via Paytm to the shop owner. He then took the printouts and presented himself at the Karai Academy where he was given entry based on the documents.
According to DIG Ashwin Chauhan, Karai Police Training Academy: “This was a one-off instance. There certainly is no scam involving others. We have double-checked the list of remaining trainees and no discrepancy has been detected.”
Acknowledging that “money seems to have changed hands in the entire episode,” IPS Sujata Mazmudar added that the matter is being investigated.
However, the question that remains unanswered concerns how Tadvi managed to evade bio-metrics assessment at the time of entry. “Why was no biometric verification carried out of this fake candidate before giving him entry? It is a serious negligence because the fake candidate would have undergone training in firing weapons, including pistols and assault rifles,” shared a senior police official.
Tadvi was caught when his name did not appear in the list of candidates at the time of salary payment. About a month ago, a woman aspirant gained entry into Karai on basis of a handwritten appointment letter, which turned out to be a forged document.
