Fake degree: No action against woman cricketer Harmanpreet
Chandigarh, July 10: The Punjab government will remove woman cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur the DSP's post for submitting a fake degree, but will not initiate any criminal proceedings against her, informed sources said on Tuesday.
Government and police sources said no criminal proceedings for forgery and cheating were in the offing against the Indian T20 women cricket team captain. The graduation certificate submitted by her to fulfil the eligibility criterion for becoming a Punjab Police DSP was found to be fake.
Enquiries by Punjab Police with the Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut had revealed that Harmanpreet's graduation degree was not genuine and in fact she was never enrolled as a varsity student.
The state has now offered her a constable's post on the basis of her Class 12 pass certificate.
Harmanpreet was appointed Deputy Superintendent of Police on March 1, with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Director General of Police Suresh Arora pinning the stars on her uniform.
The Chief Minister had offered the DSP's post to Harmanpreet, who hails from Moga district, in July last year, following her scintillating performance in the Women's World Cup 2017.
Amarinder Singh had said that the Parkash Singh Badal government's refusal to accede to her request to join Punjab Police was an "injustice" to her.
Harmanpreet was earlier employed with the Railways as a Superintendent.
Amarinder Singh had intervened to seek a waiver for her from a bond signed with the Railways to enable her to join as DSP in Punjab. The state had, in February, received a formal communication from the Railways about the waiver.
The woman cricketer, who is leaving for England, has not reacted in detail, telling the media that she has no idea about the controversy over her degree.
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Two FIRs lodged against Mithun Chakraborty for 'provocative' speech
Kolkata, Nov 6: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.
The complaints pertain to Chakraborty's speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party's West Bengal membership drive.
The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.
"We have started an investigation into the case," a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.
Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP's membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of "vendetta politics.".
Majumdar alleged that the TMC government "has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty".
He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics "to serve political interests" and claimed that the state government's actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.
"There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool," he said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
"The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn't have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course," he said.
Chakraborty, who received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the 'masnad' (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, "In 2026, the 'masnad' will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal."
In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.
Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.
He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.
