Scholarship scam accused sent to 4-day CBI custody

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 4

The three suspects arrested by the CBI in the Rs 250-crore scholarship scam have been remanded in four-day custody.

The three accused, Arvind Rajta, Superintendent, Grade-II, Department of Higher Education (dealing with disbarment of scholarship), vice-chairman of a private group of institutions, and the then head cashier at the Central Bank of India, were arrested by the CBI yesterday. All three were produced before the CBI court, which sent them to custody till January 8, when they would be produced before the court again.

The possibility of the CBI arresting more accused in the near future cannot be ruled out. The investigating agency could also quiz officials of the Education Department, who were scholarship in-charges.

Investigations had revealed that 80 per cent of the scholarships were given to private educational institutions and only a small percentage of students studying in government schools had benefited.

The CBI had registered the case under Sections 409, 419, 465, 466 and 471 of the IPC in May 2019 and conducted raids at many educational institutions in Himachal and neighbouring states.

The agency is ready with a chargesheet against 16 persons, including six officials of the Education Department holding posts during 2012-17 when the mega scam took place, against whom prosecution sanction has been received and the owners of educational institutions were likely to be arrested.