Bhopal: EOW has registered case against 10 persons including officials of SC/ST welfare department, directors of Malhotra Technical Research Institute and staffer of Barkatullah University in connection with scholarship scam. The accused officials face criminal conspiracy charges for allegedly emblazing scholarship of scores of students.
Primary investigations has brought to fore that officials fraudulently withdrew scholarship of around 200 students. The scam which began in the year 2011-12, continued till for three academic sessions until it came to light in 2014. EOW found out that in 2011-12, accused officials entered into criminal conspiracy to withdraw scholarships of students by preparing their fake IDs and forging signatures. They continued with the exercise in next academic session and kept withdrawing the amount.
Cases have been registered against six officials to Malhotra technical research institute including directors Aditya Malhotra, Avnish Malhotra, Prem Mohan Midda, principal Direndra Jha, scholarship in-charge Abhishek Jain and Tapan Sharma. Assistant commissioner SC/ST welfare Narendra Awasthi. Assistant directors of department of OBC and minority welfare Sourabh Daud and Rais Khan and Barkatullah university nodal officer Kesherbai Thakur
The EOW has registered case under section 409,420,467,468,471,120-B of IPC and 13 (1)D of prevention of corruption act 1988. The director of Malhotra technical institute Bhopal, Dhirendra Jha and scholarship in-charge Abhishek Jain prepared fake IDs of the students. The duo prepared fake IDs of the students who had taken admissions in other colleges and showed their admissions in their college.
Interestingly, the manipulation was done on online scholarship portal, the IDs were generated online and then the forms were filled. After preparing the data, they forwarded the scholarship proposal to the nodal officer of Barkatullah university, Kesherbai Thakur.
Thakur approved the proposal and forwarded the details to concerned officials including assistant commissioner tribal welfare, assistant commissioner other backward class and minority welfare, Bhopal. The tribal welfare assistant commissioner Narendra Awasthi okayed the scholarship applications and ordered release of payment.
