Patna, Nov 14 (IANS): While the Nitish Kumar government has been facing criticism over several scams in its 16-year tenure, the latest one has been detected in Darbhanga by the state minority welfare department involving scholarships to 376 students in the district.

As per the complaint given to the district's Laheriasarai police station, Mohamad Rizwan Ahmed, the assistant director of the minority welfare department said that 376 students have fraudulently taken scholarship of Rs 30,000 each using fake admission papers in a particular university in Hyderabad. The Darbhanga District Magistrate Dr Tyagrajan S.M. also confirmed the scam.

"During verification of the admission forms and other documents, it has appeared that 376 students have taken the scholarships and all of them had taken admissions in three educational institutions coming under one university, which is the Brilliant Grammar School Education Society in Hyderabad. It was alarming that how coma all the students had taken admissions in one education university and claimed the scholarship," Rizwan Ahmed said.

"When we cross checked with the educational institution, it was found that the alleged students have used the name of the university to claim the scholarship grant," he said.

"Accordingly, we contacted the students who have taken the scholarship. It was also found that the maximum of these students, 137, belong to Darbhanga district. Of them, 14 students appeared before the department and claimed that the fraudulent act was done by the employees of a cyber cafe," Rizwan Ahmed said.

"We have asked them to reverse the amount to the department in 10 days otherwise face legal action," he said.

Hari Narayan Singh, inspector in-charge of the Laheriasarai police station said: "We have registered a named FIR against the students and further investigation is on."