Scholarship scam: Over Rs 10 crore siphoned off from Punjabi University accounts

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 31

Ten months after misappropriation of UGC scholarship funds came to light, Punjabi University administration in its recent Syndicate meeting said over Rs 10 crore had been siphoned off from the university accounts over the years. The university has till date named 35 individuals in the scam which is also being investigated by the Police Department.

The misappropriation of funds had surfaced during an internal audit of the varsity accounts last year. The audit team found that a number of fake bills generated in the names of former university students were passed by a university superintendent. The signatures of the department head on the bills were also forged. The police later collected information related to its financial and administrative affairs and carried out its separate probe revealing ‘benami’ properties and other costly purchases by the accused.

Punjabi University Vice-Chancellor Prof Arvind today said that investigation into the financial scam was going on at both the police and university levels. “We have submitted details of all employees and financial receipts to the police from time to time.

As of date, nearly 35 individuals have been named in the scam, which include non-teaching officials of the university and outsiders. At least five of them are in jail,” the VC said.

He said as per the revelations till now, the accused swindled over Rs 10 crore from university accounts in a span of years. The funds were transferred into various bank accounts in the name of former research scholars.

He said, “The investigation is going on. We can’t say the exact amount siphoned off by the accused but all those named in the investigation are in the police net”, and added, “We are running two inquiries simultaneously— one by the university and another by the Police Department.

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