Scholarship money of 32,000 credited to fake accounts: CBI

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 30

The CBI, probing the Rs 250-crore scholarship scam, has identified about 32,000 students whose scholarship money was not credited to their accounts and siphoned off to fake accounts.

The fake accounts were opened by 272 private educational institutions in three banks, which are under scanner.

Screening of the documents of private institutions revealed that the erring institutions allegedly opened fake accounts without Aadhaar number of students, multiple entries of scholarship money were made to the same accounts and mobile numbers given to the banks were of the managements of private institutions and not of students.

The modus operandi of all institutions was same and it appeared that it was a well-planned strategy to cheat the government and students in connivance with some officials of the Education Department, private institutions and banks, said sources in the CBI.

The complaints by the students have also been made part of the investigation. The CBI is conducting a probe and no arrest has been made so far. The investigations are zeroing in to pinpoint the kingpin of the scam. The CBI has conducted raids on various private educational institutions in Himachal, Haryana, Punjab and other states.

272 schools under scanner

• Scholarship amount to 32,000 students was not credited to their accounts
• As many as 272 private educational institutions are under scanner
• Fake accounts were opened in three banks
• The CBI has conducted raids on private educational institutions in Himachal, Haryana, Punjab and other states