Punjab govt may demote cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur from DSP to constable over fake degree
Left embarrassed after Indian Women’s T20 captain and Arjuna awardee cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur’s graduation degree turned out to be fake, the Punjab government may decide to demote her as a constable in the Punjab Police, four months after she was appointed a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
However, sources said Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has taken a “lenient view” of the fact that her degree turned out to be fake as she has told the government that she, too, was unaware that the degree, from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, held by her was fake.
“She told us that her coach got her admission in the university, saying it was flexible about exams. She has told us she was given the degree but had no inkling that it was fake. The CM has almost decided that we appoint her as constable, a post matching with her educational qualification of senior secondary and elevate her as DSP as and when she fulfills her educational requirement,” said a senior functionary of the Punjab government.
It had turned out be an embarrassment for the state government after the police department sent her degree for verification to the Meerut university and found that it was fake. It was the Chief Minister himself who had offered her a job in the police in July 2017 after her performance in the Women’s World Cup last year. He added, “We cannot relax the rules for her. She will have to fulfill the educational qualifications. A DSP has to be a graduate.”
When Amarinder had offered her a job in Police under sports quota, she was working as Office Superintendent with Western Railways, She was not able to join Punjab Police for over six months as Railways had refused to relieve her from services. She had signed five-year contract with the railways and had not completed her term then. It wasthe CM who took up the matter with the Railways and got her relieved. She was finally appointed in February this year.
A senior functionary also said that there was a suggestion that a case of fraud should be registered against her, “But then we discussed that she was a cricketer who has brought laurels for the country. Also, usually, star sportspersons are taken for a ride by their coaches, who want them to keep playing for their institutes. Hence, the lenient view.”