Punjabi University UGC funds scam: Ex-student gets interim bail

Ravneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 10

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted interim bail to a former student of Punjabi University after he approached the court and offered to return the money that was wrongfully credited into his account.

Internal audit

• The matter realted to UGC funds scam had first been reported to the police by Punjabi University after an internal audit discovered the misappropriation.
• UGC related funds were being deposited into various student accounts after they had left the university, as per the audit report.
• The police have already identified at least 23 bank accounts related to the improper utilisation of funds.
• The swindled money is expected to go into crores, said Patiala Superintendent of Police Dr Mehtab Singh.
• The Patiala police had on September 23 claimed that funds were being swindled since 2014.

A large amount of money has been wrongfully credited into various bank accounts by Punjabi University Patiala as a part of an alleged scam that ran for years.

Harpreet Singh, who pursued MPhil from the university and currently works as lecturer on ad hoc basis at Amritsar, said Rs17 lakh had been credited into his account, but he had no knowledge about it.

Harpreet said he did not withdraw any money from the account which had been opened for scholarship in 2016-17 at Bahadurgarh, Patiala, while he was pursuing MPhil degree at the university.

The court granted Harpreet interim relief against arrest, subject to furnishing of personal bonds and surety to the satisfaction of the arresting officer.

He was also asked to submit a Rs3 lakh FDR in the trial court.

The account in which Harpreet had received Rs17 lakh from the university has already been seized by the authorities.

The court has also directed the petitioner to join the investigation and cooperate with the investigating authorities.

The Patiala police had on September 23 claimed that funds were being swindled since 2014.

The matter had first been reported to the police by Punjabi University after an internal audit discovered the misappropriation.

As per the audit report, UGC related funds were being deposited into various student accounts after they had left the university.

The police have arrested a number of accused and are looking into the bank accounts.

Patiala SP Dr Mehtab Singh said they had already identified at least 23 bank accounts related to the improper utilisation of funds. The swindled money is expected to go into crores, he said.

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