Harmanpreet Kaur likely to lose Punjab Police job due to fake degree: Reports

Chandigarh, July 2: India women TwentyT20 skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has landed in trouble and the Arjuna Awardee cricketer might even lose her job as deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in Punjab police.

As per a Times of India report, the police verification has found her graduation degree to be bogus.

The report further states that Harmanpreet, who hails from Punjab's Moga district, had joined the Punjab police as DSP on March 1. The Punjab police have now found her "testimonials not to be correct."

It is learnt that the police department has sent its proposal to the home department headed by chief minister Amarinder Singh, saying that Harmanpreet could not continue as a DSP because of the lack of a genuine graduation degree, states the news daily.

Confirming the issue, DGP (administration) MK Tiwari told TOI, "Harmanpreet had produced the graduation degree conferred on her purportedly by the Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut.

When the commandant of the Punjab Armed Police in Jalandhar sent the degree for verification, the Meerut university replied that this registration number does not exist." He said facts of the case have been sent to the state government, which is the appointing authority, for action.

When the news daily contacted Harmanpreet on her mobile, the cricketer told, "I don't know who has told you this. Waise to aisa kuch ha nahi (There is nothing like this)."

The right-handed batter was asked when did she complete her graduation and in which subjects, and whether her degree was genuine, she refused to reply and said, "I can only talk to you after talking to my department."

For her cricketing achievements, especially during the last year's ICC Women's World Cup, the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh honoured Harmanpreet. Punjab CM and Director General of Police (DGP) Suresh Arora pinned the stars on her uniform on March 1.

"Proud to join DGP Suresh Arora in pinning the stars on the uniform of this young cricketer @ImHarmanpreet as she takes over as DSP in @PunjabPolice. This lady has done us proud and I'm confident she'll continue to do so. My best wishes are with her," Amarinder tweeted.

Harmanpreet, who was serving in the Indian Railways, was relieved from her duties after she put in a request to join Punjab Police. Punjab chief minister had also taken up the matter with the Railway Ministry to waive off the bond condition and allow Harmanpreet, who is a native of Moga, to join as a DSP in Punjab.