The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed an FIR against six people, including a former senior manager at UCO Bank, over an alleged scholarship fraud of nearly Rs 1 crore in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The agency says scholarship money intended for MBA students was moved through accounts opened without the students’ knowledge. The suspected fraud occurred from January 2020 to October 2021 and involved a private management college in Bhopal along with staff at the Habibganj branch of UCO Bank. The FIR states that 118 accounts were created using names of students who had not sought scholarships, after which about Rs 99.48 lakh in government funds was deposited. The full amount was reportedly withdrawn before it reached the students. Investigators found forged forms, fake signatures and false KYC papers used to open the accounts, with the college providing invalid certificates. Mobile numbers tied to the accounts belonged to college staff, enabling them to receive OTPs, while ATM cards were given to an employee who withdrew the money. The accused include former UCO Bank manager Prema Verma, college director Vinay Malhotra, professor Aditya Malhotra, assistant professors Manoj Jain and Vinesh Meshram, and employee Ram Singh Verma. The case was reported by a UCO Bank zonal head. Offences include conspiracy, cheating, forgery and violations under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI is reviewing records and transaction data, and is checking if the same method was used elsewhere. The suspects have denied the charges.
