Taking a serious view of the fact that several persons had obtained appointments on a temporary basis to the posts of sanitary workers, overhead tank operators, overhead tank watchmen, electricians and junior assistants in town panchayats and municipalities in Tirunelveli district, using fake disability certificates from 2005 to 2015, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court ordered a comprehensive inquiry.
Justice B. Pugalendhi directed the Secretary to Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department to constitute a committee of senior officers to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the manner in which candidates were sponsored by the District Employment Exchange for appointment under the priority category.
Based on the findings of the committee, the Secretary should take appropriate departmental action against the officers/officials concerned, wherever such action is found warranted, after putting them on notice. The entire exercise should be completed in six weeks, the court directed.
The court said the Secretary should undertake a comprehensive review of the existing mechanism governing sponsorship through the Employment Exchanges and put in place appropriate administrative and supervisory safeguards to ensure the strict compliance with the government orders governing priority sponsorship, proper verification of records and greater accountability in the sponsorship process, so as to prevent the recurrence of similar irregularities.
The court was hearing petitions filed by persons who had been recruited as sanitary workers, overhead tank operators, overhead tank watchmen, electricians and junior assistants in town panchayats and municipalities in Tirunelveli district on a temporary basis from 2005 to 2015.
The petitions were filed against the show cause notice, disciplinary proceedings, inquiry reports, consequent termination orders and the proceedings of the appellate authority. Their recruitment was carried out by calling for candidates from the District Employment Exchange which had forwarded their names as differently abled candidates under the priority quota.
Dr V. Chandrasekaran, a Civil Assistant Surgeon, lodged a complaint in 2015 that he had noticed a fake National Disability Card purportedly issued by the Differently Abled Welfare Department based on his forged signature and seal of the hospital.
On the basis of the same, an FIR was registered by Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital Police. A review meeting was convened by the Tirunelveli Collector and a direction was issued to refer all the candidates appointed under the priority quota for verifying their disability.
Medical examination of the candidates was carried out and it was found that only 25 candidates were differently abled out of the 103 individuals appointed under the priority quota. Subsequently, the case was transferred to the CB-CID, Tirunelveli.
During the investigation, it was found that multiple recruitments were made at various town panchayats and municipalities in Tirunelveli on the basis of fake disability certificates and there was organised fraud. It was also found that brokers and officials of the town panchayats and municipalities had facilitated such appointments.
Forensic comparison of signatures of 22 government doctors with the forged disability certificates revealed that 13 government doctors had issued false medical certificates and assisted various persons in obtaining National Disability Identity cards. At present, the investigating agency has identified a total of 187 accused persons.
Published - July 24, 2026 09:45 pm IST