Five women join Manipur Police with fake papers

IMPHAL: Out of the 72 women sub-inspectors (SI) recruited in the Manipur police department recently, five of them recommended under the meritorious sports quota submitted fake championship certificates.

The matter came to light when an unsuccessful candidate submitted an application to the concerned departments-home and youth affairs and sport- demanding cancellation of the unfair recruitment of the five candidates under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Athlete Laishram Sanatombi Devi (29), who had applied for recruitment under the meritorious sports quota, also submitted a memorandum to governor Gurbachan Jagat.

The recruitment process began in 2008 and its results were declared on January 30, 2010 recommending the appointment of the 72 SIs. A resident of Yairipok in Thoubal district, Sanatombi won various events like hammer throw and discus throw. Besides being a national player, she also completed her MA in Education and BEd.

Of the four persons recommended for the post under sports quota, she obtained championship certificates of three candidates, she said.

Candidates Aruna Laishram submitted a certificate of participation in the 20th senior male and female National Taekwondo Championship held in Kolkata in February 2001 while Rajina Begum submitted a souvenir certificate for participation in the 3rd circle style National Kabadi Championship held in Rajasthan in March 2004. Nambram Memtu Devi submitted certificates for two different Taekwondo championships held in Imphal in 2002.

Aruna and Rajina did not participate in the said championships as per the list of players furnished by secretaries of the concerned sports associations of the state while the championship, which Memtu participated in, is not recognized by the state government, Sanatombi said.

Another two candidates-Chanuleima Pangeijam and Thounoujam Rosie Devi-are over the maximum age limit for recruitment under the sports quota and they too submitted fake and unrecognized championship certificates, she added.

Sanatombi demanded that an impartial and prompt inquiry be held into the matter and necessary legal action be taken against the erring officials.

Wahengbam Joykumar, co-convenor of the Movement for People's RTI, Manipur said that submission of such fake and unrecognized certificates for government jobs has consistently discouraged the spirit of true sports persons of the state.

Joykumar, who is the executive director of Human Rights Initiative (HRI), urged the government to punish the guilty officials involved in recruiting the five women SIs.