By Sanjeev Kumar Singh Chauhan
New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS): The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Nainital High Court has completed the probe into Uttarakhand's multi-crore SC, ST scholarship scam. Several cases have been registered by the SIT at different places in the state. Some of the colleges of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are also likely to come under the purview of the probe. Even some banks and private universities are not untouched by this, the SIT said here on Thursday.
The SIT has now launched statewide raids to nab the suspects involved in the scam.
This was confirmed by SIT head Sanjay Gunjal in a telephone conversation with IANS on Thursday.
"I was given the charge of investigation on August 13. Several irregularities were revealed in the SC, ST, OBC scholarship scam during the investigation by the SIT," said Gunjal.
A spokesman of the Uttarakhand police told IANS, "criminal cases have been registered in Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital and Tehri Garhwal. SIT is conducting raids at several places on the suspects involved in the scam."
"Criminal cases have also been registered against several educational institutions, banks and other suspects. This includes middlemen, directors of institutions and some other officials," added the Uttarakhand police spokesman.
"In the Bajpur and Jaspur areas of Udham Singh Nagar, we questioned many students. We found that middlemen managed to obtain the educational, caste and residential certificates of several students to get the scholarship amount meant for them," Gunjal told IANS.
"In the multi-crore SC/ST scholarship scam, several colleges in Uttarakhand siphoned off money meant for reserved category students. On paper, the money was shown to have been distributed to the students. This was revealed when one of the students, who was shown to have received the scholarship, was not found at the address given," added Gunjal.
He said in some cases the bank accounts of beneficiaries were shown to have been opened in another state. We will fix the responsibilities of the banks also in this case, Gunjal added.
Raids are being conducted even in Haryana's Rewari to nab the suspects, said Gunjal.
In one of the cases, according to the spokesman of Uttarkhand police, a private university was allotted Rs 28,63,900 for 28 students, but during investigation, no student was found there nor any document related to the receipt of the said amount.
Gunjal said a case of siphoning off public funds was registered against a Food Craft Institute of management in Chamba, Tehri Garhwal after a complaint was received.