ACB registers case against 5 officials, private persons in scholarship fraud in J&K

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday registered a formal case against five officials, including a former director, and several private individuals in connection with the alleged misappropriation of funds under the post-matric scholarship scheme for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to an official statement, the ACB registered a formal case against Mohd Sharief Choudhary, then Director Tribal Affairs J&K, Muzaffar Hussain Wani, then Assistant Director, Gulzar Hussain, then Junior Assistant, Javed Ahmed, then Incharge Computer Assistant, Shaheen Naqishbandi, then Head Assistant and other officers/officials of Tribal Affairs Department J&K, Mohd. Javaid (owner of M/S National Computer Institute Surankot, Poonch & M/S Infotech Institute of Computers, Poonch), Mohd. Farooq (owner of M/S Techno Park College of Professional Studies, Rajouri), Mohd. Shakeel (owner of M/S M.S.Khan Computer Institute, Rajouri) and Muddasir Ahmed (owner of M/S NESSOW Institute Surankot Poonch vide FIR No. 05/2024 U/S 5(1)(c)(d) r/w section 5(2) of J&K PC Act, Svt. 2006 & section 120-B RPC ‘on 09.10.2024. The instant case was registered on the outcome of a verification conducted by this Bureau to look into the allegations that Directorate of Tribal Affairs J&K while implementing Post Matric Scholarship, Government of India sponsored scheme entitled for ST candidates, indulged in gross violation of guidelines and released crores of rupees to un-recognized institutes for un-recognized courses etc.
The verification conducted revealed that the Government of India launched Post Matric Scholarship scheme to ST candidates to complete their education by way of providing financial assistance in the shape of scholarship amounting Rs.18,000 per student plus Rs. 2300 maintenance allowance. The objective behind Post Matric Scholarship scheme was to provide financial assistance to Scheduled Tribe students studying at post matriculation or post-secondary stage to enable them to complete their education and reimburse of compulsory fee to the students charged by recognized Institute. But the officers/officials of Tribal Affairs Department without checking the genuineness of the institutes as well as infrastructure/course contents provided by institutes, even without ensuring the end use of scholarship amount and guidelines, disbursed the scholarship fee of about Rs. 1,66,20,000 during 2014 to 2018 directly in the bank accounts of the institutes ; M/S National Computer Institute Surankot, Poonch, M/S NESSOW Institute Surankot, Poonch, M/S Infotech Institute of I.tech Management, Poonch, M/S Technopark College of Professional & Technical, Rajouri and M/S M.S Khan Computer Institute, Rajouri
The verification conducted further revealed that even one of the institutes namely M/S NESSOW computer institute Poonch was not having proper accreditation with NIELIT or other recognised body, but department of Tribal Affairs disbursed the scholarship fees amounting Rs. 33,30,000 to this institute also. Whereas, the rest of four institutes having accreditation with NIELIT, have not got conducted the examination of the candidates through NIELIT, rather issued the course certificates by itself, having no value, thereby defeated the very purpose of post matric scholarship scheme. Besides the course contents and duration of CHM”O” level and “O” level, provided by NIELIT was different from the course contents provided by Institutes on the diploma issued by the Institutes.
By acting in this manner, the officers/officials of Tribal Affairs Department namely Mohd Sharief Choudhary, then Director Tribal Affairs J&K, Muzaffar Hussain Wani, then Assistant Director, Gulzar Hussain, then Junior Assistant, Javed Ahmed, then Incharge Computer Assistant, Shaheen Naqishbandi, then Head Assistant, having prescribed duties, by abuse of their official positions and in lieu of criminal conspiracy hatched among themselves as well as with beneficiaries namely Mohd Javaid, son of Lal Hussain, resident of Gunthel Tehsil Surankote, Poonch (owner of National Computer Institute Surankot, Poonch & Infotech Institute of Computers, Poonch), Mohd Farooq, son of Mohd Abdullah, resident of Village Dodaj Sabzi Tehsil Darhal Rajouri (owner of Techno Park College of Professionals studies, Rajouri), Mohd Shakeel, son of Mohd Jameel, resident of Manjakote, Rajouri (owner of M.S.Khan Computer Institute, Rajouri) and Muddasir Ahmed, son of Ghulam Mohd Bhat, resident of Near High School Shamspora, Bijbehara Anantnag (owner of NESSOW Institute Surankot Poonch), as well as others, by way of manipulating record as well as violating guidelines of Post Matric Scholarship Scheme, misappropriated Government funds to the tune of Rs 1, 66, 20,000 as a result of which a huge loss has been caused to Government exchequer which prima-facie constitute offences of punishable U/S 5(1)(c)(d) r/w section 5(2) of J&K PC Act, Svt. 2006 and Section 120-B RPC. Accordingly, case FIR No. 05/2024 is registered in P/S ACB Rajouri and the investigation of the case is taken up.