New Delhi, Mar 29 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Dehradun branch, has attached one immovable property worth Rs 1.45 crore belonging to Wali Gram Udhyog Vikas Sansthan, Roorkee, which runs the Techword Wali Gram Udhyog Vikas Sansthan Group of Institutions, in a case of SC/ST scholarship scam.

The ED initiated the investigation under PMLA based on the FIR filed by the Haridwar police, Uttarakhand, under various sections of the IPC. During the course of investigation it was revealed that Techword Wali Gram Udhyog Vikas Sansthan had fraudulently received a huge amount of scholarship money in the name of SC/ST students from the social welfare department, Haridwar, for the period 2011-12 to 2014-2015. The scholarship amount disbursed by the government to the college for the SC/ST students has not reached the beneficiary students.

"The institution had completed all the formalities to obtain scholarship under SC/ST scholarship scheme falsely. It is also evident from the investigation that scholarship under SC/ST scholarship scheme disbursed by the government has been embezzled, siphoned off by Techword Wali Gram Udhyog Vikas Sansthan, through its trustees and caused huge financial loss to the public exchequer and wrongful gain to themselves," said the ED.

The official said that investigation under PMLA revealed that this ill-gotten money was used in the construction of the college and other college related expenses. After identification of the Proceeds of Crime (PoC), a provisional attachment order for attaching the PoC in the form of a piece of land worth Rs 1.45 crore in Haridwar district has been issued.

Further investigation in the matter is on.