Did Karnataka Officials Misappropriate Funds Intended for Students' Overseas Travel?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Three individuals arrested for misappropriating funds.
- Rs 1.94 crore diverted to personal accounts.
- Investigation led to the recovery of assets worth Rs 1 crore.
- Trust in educational institutions compromised.
- Continued police investigation is ongoing.
Bengaluru, Nov 12 (NationPress) In a shocking incident, three individuals, including two women, have been arrested for the alleged misappropriation of advance funds designated for students' overseas travel, according to police reports released on Wednesday.
A formal complaint was lodged at the Sadashivanagar police station on November 1 by a staff member of a prominent educational institution within the local jurisdiction, as detailed by Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh.
The complainant revealed that two women, employed as temporary secretarial assistants at the institution, had forged documents to secure approval for the advance funds.
The suspects reportedly altered and manipulated the approval papers, changed students' bank account information, and misdirected a staggering total of Rs 1.94 crore (Rs 1,94,33,700) in multiple transactions to bank accounts belonging to their relatives and friends. This act constitutes a serious breach of trust and cheating.
A case was consequently recorded at the Sadashivanagar Police Station.
During the investigation, police followed several leads and collected reliable information from informants. On November 2, both women were apprehended at their homes in Hesarugatta and Yeshwanthpur.
Upon questioning, they admitted to their participation in the crime and identified a male accomplice.
Both women appeared in court on November 3, where they were remanded to eight days of police custody.
In further interrogation, they acknowledged that their actions were driven by a desire for quick financial gain.
They revealed that the misappropriated funds had been transferred to 16 different bank accounts of relatives and friends, which were then used to acquire properties, gold ornaments, and other assets.
On November 9, the third suspect, a male accomplice residing near Arakere on Bannerghatta Road, was also arrested. He too confessed during interrogation.
He was presented in court on the same day and is now in custody for 10 days.
Between November 8 and the following Monday, police recovered assets totaling Rs 1 crore. This includes two plots valued between Rs 70-80 lakh, 121 grams of gold worth Rs 15 lakh, Rs 11 lakh in cash, and a vehicle valued at Rs 10 lakh.
On the most recent Monday, the two women were brought before the court, which placed them in judicial custody. The male accomplice remains in police custody as the investigation unfolds.