Himachal multi-crore scholarship scam: CBI files charge sheet against 20 institutes, 105 individuals

The CBI has concluded its investigation in the Himachal Pradesh multi-crore scholarship scam with the filing of charge sheets against 20 institutions and 105 persons.

The CBI has concluded its investigation in the Himachal Pradesh multi-crore scholarship scam with the filing of charge sheets against 20 institutions and 105 persons, officials said on Friday.

The charge sheets have been filed against the owners of educational institutes, the staff of Directorate of Higher Education, Shimla; bank officials and other private persons involved in the misuse of funds under scholarship and reimbursement scheme of fees launched by the Union government and implemented through the state government to help the students of SC, ST and OBC categories, a statement issued by the CBI said.

The scholarship scam started in 2012-13, when the scholarships for Schedule Caste (SC), Schedule Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) students of the state for pre-matric and post-matric students under 36 schemes were not paid to the eligible students. Eighty per cent of the scholarship money was paid to the private institutions.

The scam was unearthed following reports that the students of the government schools in the tribal Spiti valley in Himachal's Lahaul and Spiti district had not been paid a scholarship for the past five years.

A case was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the year 2019 on the request of the Himachal Pradesh government against the private educational institutions in Himachal for fake and fraudulent claims of scholarships of about ₹181 crore during the year 2013 to 2017.

Searches were earlier conducted at about 30 places on the premises of some people which led to the recovery of incriminating documents. Subsequently, 19 accused, including the chairman, vice chairman, directors and employees of the educational institutes; bank officials and officials of the education department were arrested.

The scholarships of about 32,000 students were not credited in their accounts and 80% of the scholarship money was paid to private institutions.