FIR filed in Lucknow over alleged 2016 X-ray technician recruitment fraud

An FIR has been registered in Lucknow over alleged irregularities in the 2016 recruitment of X-ray technicians in Uttar Pradesh's health department, where one person allegedly secured jobs in different districts under the same name, officials said on Tuesday.

The complaint, filed by Dr Ranjana Khare, director (paramedical) at the Directorate General of Medical and Health Services, said that the accused allegedly used forged documents to impersonate a candidate --Arpit Singh, son of Anil Kumar Singh - whose name appeared at serial number 80 on the recruitment list declared by the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission in 2016.

According to the FIR registered at Wazirganj police station, the alleged fraud resulted in appointments in Balrampur, Farrukhabad, Rampur, Banda, Amroha and Shamli districts, with the individuals drawing salaries since 2016 and causing financial loss to the state exchequer.

Police said the case has been registered under relevant sections of the erstwhile IPC for cheating and forgery, and further investigations are underway.

The development came hours after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing an appointment letter distribution programme for X-ray technicians on Monday, highlighted the alleged malpractice.

"What type of recruitment used to take place? We had to then hand over a number of recruitments which had taken place to the CBI. Now, you are seeing that a person was drawing salaries after getting himself appointed at eight places. It was known when the matter came to light during the probe," Adityanath said.

Without taking any names, the UP chief minister said, "Who are these people? These people are the ones from a family which used to take money from the people, recruit them, and loot the people of UP... The recruitment was in 2016. We have initiated a probe, the probe is going on and when the probe gets completed in time, a number of relations (mentioned) in the 'Mahabharat' will be compelled to spend the rest of their lives in jail."  Meanwhile, a Lucknow police official said an inquiry is underway and strict action will be taken against those found guilty of wrongdoing.