Over 40 persons, aged between 44 and 54, were wrongly shown as “elderly” in official panchayat records in Shimla. This was allegedly done to help them get old-age pension benefits, police said on Friday. The case has come up at a time when nominations are being filed for elections to 3,754 gram panchayats in Himachal Pradesh.
The alleged fraud involving around 45 individuals took place mainly between 2021 and 2025. Officials say the panchayat family register in Tagnu-Janglikh panchayat of Chirgaon in Rohru subdivision was tampered with.
The Himachal Pradesh government provides an old-age pension of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,700 per month to people aged 60 and above. The annual income limit for eligibility is Rs 35,000.
Officials suspect that such large-scale changes in records could not have happened without the involvement of government staff. The role of the then panchayat secretary and other employees is also under investigation.
Police have registered an FIR in the case for cheating, forgery, preparing fake documents and using forged records under relevant sections of the law. A probe has been started.
The case was filed after an email complaint from the District Welfare Officer, Shimla. After checking the details, the department submitted a formal complaint to the police.
Around 45 people have been named in the case, including about 20 from Tagnu village and nearly 25 from the Janglikh area. The list includes both men and women.
Villagers said rumours about irregularities had been circulating in the panchayat for a long time. However, the matter came to light only after a detailed inspection of records. There are also claims that some people may have been receiving pension benefits since 2018–19.
As part of the investigation, officials are examining family registers issued by the panchayat, birth certificates, pension applications and other related documents. Authorities believe official records were tampered with using fake or manipulated birth certificates. These documents are now under scrutiny.
Police have taken all relevant records into custody. They are trying to find out where the fake documents were created and who was responsible for altering official records.
Also read: Himachal amends Panchayati Raj law, tightens poll norms
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