Meerut: The economic offences wing (EOW) of UP Police is all set to register 26 FIRs in the scholarship scam which rocked the state during the Samajwadi Party regime. Senior EOW officials old TOI that several madrassas and other minority institutions, which existed only on paper, are at the heart of the scam.“During investigation, we came across madrassas and other minority institutions which existed only on paper. They drew scholarship funds illegally. Some institutions which did exist, presented exaggerated figures to get government funds,” said Ramsuresh Yadav, Meerut additional superintendent of police (ASP) and also the in-charge of the local EOW.According to the investigators, these “ghost institutions” siphoned off crores of rupees between 2009 and 2011 in connivance with then district minority welfare officer Suman Gautam. “The lid was blown following complaints of alleged misappropriation of funds in 2010. A district-level probe was ordered following which 141 madrassas and other minority institutions came under scanner. Gautam and several other district officers were indicted in the report for their role in the alleged embezzlement of scholarship funds,” said Mohammed Tariq, minority welfare officer.Gautam was suspended in 2012 following a district-level probe. She was also arrested in 2016, but was later released. Despite her name appearing as the prime accused in the case, she was reappointed and is currently serving as minority welfare officer in Hapur.Given the magnitude of the scam, the case was handed over to EOW. “The local EOW, after a preliminary inquiry, had sent a proposal to the state administration to initiate probe in 52 cases. The government has now given nod to look into 26 cases,” Yadav said. The local EOW, which will soon operate from a separate police station, is in the process of filing FIRs in these cases.Apart from 26 cases in Meerut, FIRs in more than 80 cases of embezzlement of scholarship funds are being probed in Etawah. For this, FIRs will be filed by Kanpur EOW, a senior police official said.

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