Five Convicted for Misappropriating Scholarship Funds in Uttar Pradesh, Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

In a significant ruling, the Special Judge for CBI cases in Lucknow has sentenced five individuals, including a former senior clerk and four private persons, to three years in prison for their involvement in the misappropriation of scholarship funds in Uttar Pradesh. The cases date back to the years 1997-2000, with the accused found guilty of misusing funds intended for scholarships.
In the first case, the court sentenced two individuals, Shri Krishna Kumar, the then Senior Clerk at the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) office in Kanpur Nagar, and Shri Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, a private person, to three years of imprisonment. They were also fined a total of Rs. 60,000. The case involved the misappropriation of Rs. 9,38,264 from the scholarship fund for the years 1997-98 and 1998-99. The funds were issued by the District Welfare Officer, Kanpur, but were misused by officials from the District Social Welfare Department and the DIOS office in collaboration with private individuals. The accused opened fake accounts to divert the funds.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case in 2002, following an order from the Allahabad High Court. After completing the investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet in 2004, leading to the conviction of the accused.
In the second case, four private individuals—Manoj Kumar Dwivedi (who was also convicted in the first case), Vinod Kumar Mishra, Suleman, and Prem Singh @ Puti—were sentenced to three years of imprisonment and fined a total of Rs. 1,20,000. This case involved the misappropriation of Rs. 6,44,000 from the scholarship funds for the year 1999-2000. The funds were drawn in the names of nine non-existent colleges through bank accounts in Kanpur. The accused, including the manager of Johra Inter College, Kanpur, and clerks from other colleges, colluded with the then District Inspector of Schools to steal the funds.
The CBI took over this case in 2002, following the same High Court order. After a thorough investigation, the chargesheet was filed in 2004, leading to the conviction of the accused.
After a lengthy trial, the court found the accused guilty and handed down the sentences accordingly, sending a strong message against corruption and the misuse of public funds.