Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, June 4: While the scholarship scandal in the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Rajouri has touched Rs 15 lakh mark, a yet another scandal has been detected after the police seized two cheques worth Rs 4.28 lakh drawn from Darhal branch of J&K Bank for the purchases made for the University from two non-existent firms.
The police managed to arrest the prime accused Ajaz Malik, cashier- cum-clerk of JK Bank branch Raiki Baan, Darhal while BGSB University clerk Muzaffar and two other employees on whose name, huge money has been transferred and withdrawn illegally have gone underground. The police parties are conducting raids to arrest them. The police believes that this whole scandal, is providing some convincing evidences, pin pointing on the role of some senior officers in the Campus. When all the three Varsity employees will be grilled, the whole truth will come to light. A senior Varsity officer is making hectic efforts to influence the police investigations.
SSP Rajouri, Dr Haseeb Mughal told the Excelsior that the scholarship scam came to light when a student of BGSBU Rajouri, Masood Ahmed, son of Abdul Majid, resident of Khanetar village in Poonch, whose scholarship cheque worth Rs 22,300 remained unpaid. He was told by the Bank branch at his village that this amount already stood withdrawn. He revealed that initially the Varsity clerk Muzaffar delayed the issuance of check on different pretexts for several months and when he deposited the same in his account, it was found that money had been withdrawn by some body else.
He contacted main J&K Bank branch officials at Rajouri who started internal inquiry. They found that money had been diverted to Raiki Baan Darhal branch of J&K Bank on the name of a close relative of Muzaffar. The Bank manager then informed Police and this student also filed a written complaint. He was not the only student who was duped by Varsity staff and Bank clerk but many Scheduled Tribe students from Poonch and Rajouri areas had fallen prey.
Giving more details, the SSP said Ajaz Malik and Muzaffar are relatives. An amount of Rs 88,300 through three cheques of students was transferred into the account of his real brother Shahid Iqbal by Varsity clerk Muzaffar Malik. Not only this, Cheque No. 263817 worth Rs 22,300 and Chq No. 32740 worth Rs 8700 of J&K Bank were found transferred to the account of Mirza Naseeb, a work supervisor in BGSBU. An amount of Rs 31,300 has been found diverted to the account of another Varsity employee Manzoor Hussain through Cheques 33707/08 and 263697.
Bank clerk Ajaz Malik had diverted huge money to the account of her Bhabhi Nazat Begum and brother-in-law Mohd Majeed. In all the bank branches of the area, the record pertaining to ST Scholarships being issued through SWD is being scrutinized. The police is expecting canvas of this scam spread in other branches as well. The scam has reached up to Rs 15 lakh but it may go to higher mark.
The SSP revealed that during scrutiny of the record of the University and Bank, a new scandal has surfaced after two cheques pertaining to some purchases of stationary items, worth over Rs 4.28 lakh were found withdrawn on two firms from Darhal branch of J&K Bank. After investigation it has been found that such purchases were never made and the firms existed nowhere while they were shown Rajouri and Jammu based. It indicates the involvement of some big sharks in this game plan to siphon out funds from the University. The investigations have been expedited to reach up to those people and it is believed that many heads may roll after the investigations are over.
Dr Mughal disclosed that relatives of Bank clerk Ajaz have been placed under sustained questioning while University employees are still evading arrest. After their sustained interrogation, some startling revelations would come out soon. The SSP said that Chief Minister and Tribal Affairs Minister Ch Zulfkar have taken serious view of the matter. He said whosoever is big or influential, will not be spared.
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