The ‘impostor’ controversy at the National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie today saw the institution giving a clean chit to its top official on the allegations by a woman who claimed that he was being shielded and threatened to commit suicide if she did not get justice.
The woman — Ruby Chaudhry — had claimed that she stayed at the institute with the help of a fake ID card allegedly issued by Deputy Director Saurabh Jain but he said the allegations were baseless and malicious and he will file criminal defamation case against her.
An Uttarakhand police team that also visited Chaudhry’s native Kutba-Kutbi village in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh to record statements of her family members earlier has arrested her. The team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Promod Kumar questioned Chaudhry’s father Satbir Singh, uncle Ranbir Singh, brother Mohit Kumar and neighbours who said she had lied to them about her IAS training and her stay at the academy, the police said. The academy also said that Head of a Special Investigation Team accompanied by other police officials visited the academy today and “interacted” with its officials and staff.
All the documentary records seized from the woman as well as the video recording, photographic and CCTV footage related to the incident has been handed over to the SIT for investigation, it said in a statement issued by the Joint Director of the Academy D Nariala. With the incident sparking security concerns, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the Centre will step in, if necessary, into the matter after the academy’s inquiry. The woman had accused Jain of having taken a bribe of Rs five lakh from her in three instalments for issuing her the ID card on the basis of which she stayed there for over six months. Chaudhry had also claimed that she had been assured the job of a librarian there in exchange for Rs20 lakh.
However, the academy today said the “allegations of false promise of job to the alleged person were baseless, malicious and hence are categorically denied.” It said as per information available with the academy, Chaudhry had unauthorisedly resided in the residential quarter allotted to one security guard Dev Singh. When the matter was brought to the notice of the security incharge of the academy on March 27, an enquiry was immediately instituted, it said. The woman today said that the episode had adversely affected her ties with both her own family and her in-laws.
“I am in deep depression. I have lost my ties with my family and in-laws. If I don’t get justice, I will have no choice but to commit suicide,” she said. “There is a collective attempt to protect Jain who was Uttarkashi District Magistrate in the past and also perhaps held an important position in Dehradun,” she said, adding “After all why has he not been questioned so farIJ” The academy further said that when Chaudhry visited the institution on March 29, she was apprehended by the security staff and was asked to appear before the Security Incharge. An enquiry was conducted immediately and the statement of Chaudhry was recorded by Prem Singh, Senior Deputy Director and incharge of Security, the academy’s press release said adding that the entire proceedings were videographed.
“On completion of preliminary enquiry, the lady was asked to leave the academy premises forthwith and some documents, such as an ID card, Election Voter ID card etc were seized from her by the security staff and the security guard in question was immediately placed under suspension,” it said. An FIR was lodged on March 31 with the local police station Mussoorie against the security lapse and the District Magistrate of Muzaffarnagar, from where Chaudhry is said to belong, was also asked to enquire into her antecedents, said the release quoting Nariala. Though booked under various Sections of the IPC, Chaudhry has not been arrested so far.