Scholarship scam: Specify probe deadline, HP High Court tells CBI

Shimla, July 13

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The HP High Court has directed the CBI to file an affidavit specifying the date by which the investigation into a case of wrongful disbursement and misappropriation of post-matric scholarships meant for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Castes (OBC) students under a Centrally-sponsored scheme will be completed.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice AA Sayed and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua directed the CBI to file the affidavit along with a fresh status report on or before the next date of hearing and listed the matter for September 19. While passing the order, the court observed, “The CBI is investigating the case for the past three years.”

The CBI advocate filed a fresh status report and informed the court that 24 students of Kurukshetra University and the Haryana State Board of Technical Education, Panchkula, and five witnesses had been questioned in the matter of ICL Groups of Colleges. Seven other witnesses and bank officials had also been examined.

He said that the CBI had investigated 28 institutions and completed the probe with regard to 15 institutions. It had filed seven chargesheets so far. After the last status report was submitted, the CBI had completed investigation with regard to two institutions and filed two chargesheets. The investigation with regard to the remaining 13 institutions was underway, he added.

The court passed the order on a petition filed by Shyam Lal, a resident of Bilaspur district. The petitioner stated that the state government had appointed Shakti Bhushan, State Project Officer, to probe into the case of misappropriation/ misapplication of funds under the centrally-sponsored Post-Matric Scholarships Scheme for students belonging to the SC, ST and OBC categories. On the basis of his inquiry report, an FIR was lodged in 2018.

The petitioner stated that the inquiry report revealed that a huge amount of scholarship money was misappropriated. Besides educational institutions in the state, institutions located in other states were also involved in the scam. Consequently, the state government handed over the case to the CBI.—OC

FIR lodged in 2018

• The court passed the order on a petition filed by Shyam Lal of Bilaspur
• The petitioner stated that Shakti Bhushan, State Project Officer, conducted a probe into misappropriation/ misapplication of funds under the centrally-sponsored Post-Matric Scholarships Scheme for SC, ST and OBC students
• On the basis of Bhushan’s inquiry report, an FIR was lodged in 2018