LUCKNOW: The Rs 500 crore scholarship scam being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is getting bigger by the day.ED has now started screening the records of 161 colleges spread across the state in connection with siphoning of funds in the name of scholarships to students under various schemes of the central and state governments.So far, the Hygia Group of colleges has been under the ED scanner and four persons - Vikram Nag, Izhar Hussain Jafri, Ali Abbas Jafri and Ravi Prakash Gupta - have been arrested in connection with the scam. ram, a disabled international cricketer, used to arrange students for availing scholarship under quota for the disabled and admitted them to colleges. ED had registered a case in February this year and conducted raids on 10 educational institutes of the Hygia group. The central agency had also seized crucial evidence related to these 10 institutes and several other colleges which were also found to be involved in the scam. Probe revealed that the arrested persons not only controlled the bank accounts of beneficiary students and illegally kept their ATM cards and phone numbers for transfer and withdrawal of scholarship funds. According to sources, more arrests are likely in the scam. Records of 161 colleges are being scanned and summons will be issued to the owners of these institutions. Those privy to the investigation said that the name of an NGO has also surfaced which used to divert the scholarship money. ED sources said that the NGO, formed for the welfare of blind students, is operated by one of the accused, Vikram Nag. The arrested accused had been fraudulently withdrawing scholarship funds using the Aadhaar and bank details of ineligible persons shown in records as students. Sources said that Vikram, a disabled international cricketer, used to arrange students for availing scholarship under quota for the disabled and admitted them to colleges. ED had registered a case in February this year and conducted raids on 10 educational institutes of the Hygia group. The central agency had also seized crucial evidence related to these 10 institutes and several other colleges which were also found to be involved in the scam. Probe revealed that the arrested persons not only controlled the bank accounts of beneficiary students and illegally kept their ATM cards and phone numbers for transfer and withdrawal of scholarship funds.

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