Dehradun, June 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) The ED attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 13.83 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the SC/ST Scholarship Scam in Uttarakhand, an official said on Monday.
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Dehradun Sub Zonal Office, initiated an investigation based on an FIR registered by the Uttarakhand Police relating to fraudulent availing and siphoning of Post-Matric Scholarships meant for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students during the period 2011-12 to 2016-17, the ED said in a statement.
The investigation revealed that of 6,208 scholarship claims, 2,895 were fraudulent, the ED said.
The federal agency’s investigation under PMLA revealed that some private educational institutions, along with their management and associated societies/trusts, fraudulently obtained scholarship funds released by the Social Welfare Department, Government of Uttarakhand, by showing ineligible, non-genuine and non-verifiable students as beneficiaries, the ED said.
Some institutions named in the FIR include Motherhood Institute of Management and Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand; Roorkee Institute of Management Sciences/Medical Sciences (RIMS), Haridwar, Uttarakhand; and Mahaveer Institute of Technology, Meerut, UP, the statement said.
Investigation revealed that a total of 6,208 scholarship claims on the aforesaid institutions were processed by the District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO), Haridwar, resulting in the disbursement of approximately Rs 27.98 crore in scholarship funds during the period under investigation, said the federal agency.
Of the total amount disbursed, Rs 19.74 crore was credited directly into the bank accounts of the institutions, while approximately Rs 8.24 crore was credited into bank accounts maintained in the names of students, the ED said.
The ED’s investigation uncovered a systematic modus operandi wherein scholarship claims were submitted in the names of students who were either not genuinely enrolled, not attending classes, academically ineligible, or otherwise not entitled to receive scholarship benefits under the applicable scheme.
Verification conducted by various Universities and educational authorities revealed significant discrepancies in admission, enrolment and examination records, and further established that many of the purported beneficiaries had either failed examinations, remained absent, were not traceable in university records, or continued to receive scholarships despite not fulfilling the prescribed eligibility criteria, the ED said.
The fraudulent activities resulted in wrongful loss to the exchequer and corresponding unlawful gain to the accused persons and associated entities.
Source: IANS
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