Punjab Vigilance Bureau Arrests Two in Nursing College Admission Scam

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has arrested accused Aruna Chhabra, former principal of K.D. College of Nursing Mahilpur, Hoshiarpur district from his residence at village Khudda Jassu, Chandigarh and accused Dr. Kuldeep Singh Mehrok, owner of Mehrok College of Nursing and Medical Sciences, Taipur, Tehsil Pataran, Patiala district from his private hospital - Tricity Clinic and Hospital, Dera Bassi, Mohali district. Both the accused have been involved in committing irregularities in admissions and examinations in nursing colleges in connivance with officials and employees of Punjab Nursing Registration Council Mohali (PNRC) and evading their arrest in this case.

In this case, Charanjit Kaur Cheema, former registrar of PNRC and principal (retired) of Nursing Training School Gurdaspur and Dr Arvinderveer Singh Gill, resident of Basant Vihar, Hoshiarpur, have already taken arrested by the VB.

Giving detailed information in this regard, an official spokesperson of VB said during the investigation of a complaint about committing irregularities in admissions, examinations and results in private nursing colleges, it has come to light that with the connivance of the managements of the said private nursing colleges, the PNRC officials had prepared fake records and tampered with the government records for conducting examinations of nursing students without the necessary admission forms, examination forms and requisite examination fees.

He further informed that during the probe it was found that K.D. College of Nursing, Mahilpur, in Hoshiarpur district has got recognition from Indian Nursing Council New Delhi on 25.09.2019 and from PNRC on 29.11.2012 whereas much before the recognition of this college, the admission forms and receipt numbers were found to be issued by the PNRC. He revealed that the admission forms pertaining to 5 roll numbers were received from this college but these admission forms/roll numbers were issued to Princeton Institute of Nursing Gurdaspur by the Nursing Council. The fake admission list of these 5 students was prepared in October 2012 much before the college was recognized and on the basis of this admission list, a cut list regarding these roll numbers was issued on the receipt of the examination forms and examination fees of these students.

Apart from this, an admission list of 27 students belonging to G.R.D. International Institute of Nursing Tanda Urmur, Hoshiarpur had been prepared and uploaded on the website by the PNRC. After this, in the revised list of 30 students of this college, the admissions on 2 roll numbers were mentioned through KD College of Nursing, Mahilpur.

The spokesperson further added that in this way, the admissions of students of the above said colleges, cut lists issued regarding these roll numbers and transfers/adjustment of students had taken place during the deployment of a dealing hand of examination branch of PNRC.

Moreover, Dr Kuldeep Singh Mehrok of Mehrok College of Nursing and Medical Sciences, Taipur, Patiala and Dr. Arvinderveer Singh Gill, had provided names, addresses and documents of 15 students of K.D. College of Nursing Mahilpur whose 2 years ANM course fees were fixed at Rs 40,000 per student. The above mentioned Aruna Chhabra, former principal of K.D. College of Nursing Mahilpur had verified admission forms of these students. But concerned dealing hand of PNRC and Charanjit Kaur Cheema, Registrar, PNRC had not uploaded their names and details on PNRC website. Besides this, roll numbers were issued to these 15 students without depositing the requisite examination fees. After taking the examinations of these students, the said Registrar of PNRC had prepared the results of a total of 20 students of the K.D. College of Nursing Mahilpur, in which the names and addresses of 5 students were recorded, while the results of 15 students were mentioned only with their roll numbers.

The spokesperson further added that during the probe, it was found that the accused Charanjit Kaur Cheema, a resident of Ranjit Avenue (Kila Tek Singh), Batala, in Gurdaspur district, had colluded with the accused Dr. Arvinderveer Singh Gill and declared the results of the said 15 students after taking affidavits from students and getting the documents verified again from aforementioned Aruna Chhabra, former principal of K.D. College of Nursing Mahilpur. It was also found that this result was not signed by the dealing hand or the superintendent of the examination branch of the PNRC but by a data entry operator working on daily basis.

He informed that during the investigation, it has came to light that fake records were prepared and tampered with in the PNRC in connivance with above mentioned privately managed nursing colleges and the examinations of 15 students were conducted without the requisite admission forms, necessary examination forms and examination fees.

He further added that during the thorough investigation, the allegations made in the complaint were found to be true. On the basis of this investigation, the VB has registered case No. 16 dated 02.08.2024 against the concerned accused under sections 409, 420, 465, 467, 471, 201, 120-B of the IPC and section 13 (1)A read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act at VB Police Station, Jalandhar range. Both the arrested accused would be produced in the competent court tomorrow. Further investigation of this case was under progress, he said.