The West Bengal Police have arrested several individuals in connection with an alleged fraud scheme that diverted government funds intended to help 11th and 12th-grade students purchase tablets and smartphones. According to the police, the suspects gained unauthorized access to the education department’s portal.
It is alleged that over 300 eligible students across various districts did not receive the Rs 10,000 provided under the ‘Taruner Swapna’ scheme. For students to receive funds through this program, state-affiliated schools submit a list of eligible students, including their bank account details, to the education department.
Last week, after receiving complaints from four schools in the Purba Medinipur district about most students not receiving their funds, the police discovered that fraudsters had substituted the students' account numbers with their own.
Similar complaints began surfacing from other areas of the state, including the districts of Purba Bardhaman, Malda, and Kolkata. A school in Behala reported that funds meant for 31 of its students had been deposited into different accounts.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered an investigation into the complaints, prompting a swift response from the police. So far, multiple arrests have been made across various districts.
On Wednesday, two people were apprehended in Chopra, located in Uttar Dinajpur district. This arrest was reportedly part of a joint operation between Kolkata Police and the local police, as part of the former’s investigation into the complaint received from the Behala school.
Three additional suspects had been arrested from Uttar Dinajpur by the police on Tuesday.
On the same day, four individuals from Baishnabnagar in Malda were also detained. All are reportedly cyber cafe owners, and the police seized hard drives, 15 pen drives, laptops, and bank account information from them. Earlier, another person from the same had also been arrested.
According to the initial probe, the police suspect that funds from the 'Taruner Swapna' scheme may have been diverted to bank accounts outside of West Bengal. Officials are now investigating the possibility of an organized network orchestrating the fraud.
