Srinagar, Jan 27 (KNS): The crime branch Kashmir Wednesday said that they arrested a person from West Bengal who was involved with other accused persons in uploading fake application forms on National Scholarship Portal for Merit cum Means scholarship under minority quota for Jammu and Kashmir during 2018-19. 

In a statement issued to news agency KNS, a spokesperson said that a team of Crime Branch Kashmir headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police proceeded to West Bengal and arrested the accused person namely Selim Sekh son of Giyasuddin Miya, a resident of Tinsatabighi Berabad in Malda district of West Bengal.

He said that he was involved in the case FIR No. 04/2020 U/S 420, 468, 120-B-RPC, 66 (D) IT Act, 5(2) PC Act of Crime Branch Kashmir. 

“The accused in criminal conspiracy with the other accused persons uploaded fake application forms on National Scholarship Portal for Merit Cum Means Scholarship under Minority Quota for J&K students during the year 2018-19 for district Kulgam.”  

He said that subsequently, fake verifications were conducted from the institutes, which did not exist in the states mentioned in the application forms. 

“The accused in connivance with other accused persons have shown the fake beneficiaries to be the residents of district Kulgam and got deceitfully verified by the district social welfare officer Kulgam and managed to transfer the amount of RS. 1.34 crores from the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Govt. of India into the Bank accounts of 463 fake beneficiaries of Malda in West Bengal.”

He said that these accounts were maintained in various branches of State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, United Bank of India (now PNB), Allahabad Bank, IDFC Bank and Bangiya Vikas Gramin Bank situated in different districts of West Bengal. 

He further said that the arrested accused is being questioned for further investigation. (KNS)