Investigation into misuse of Minority Scholarship Scheme begins
The Crime Branch has initiated a major investigation following a written complaint received on June 17, 2025, from the Assistant Director, Backward Classes and Minority Welfare, Bhopal District. The complaint alleges large-scale misuse of the Minority Scholarship Scheme administered by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India. The complaint, filed before the Commissioner of Police, Urban Police, Bhopal, highlights serious irregularities and fraudulent practices by several educational institutions in availing scholarship funds during the academic year 2021–2022.
The written complaint, letter no. Minority Class/Gastha/25/241 dated 17.06.2025, claims that 40 educational institutions operating within Bhopal district were involved in fraudulent activities related to the Minority Scholarship Scheme. A preliminary inquiry led to the registration of FIR No. 95/2025 under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code against the institutions, their owners, nodal officers, an heads of institutions.
The investigation revealed that these institutions fraudulently registered a total of 972 students on the official scholarship portal, leading to the misappropriation of Rs 57,78,300 in scholarship funds. Authorities suspect that the institutions either used forged Aadhaar data or created fictitious student records to siphon off the scholarship amount. The case, marked as Complaint No. SC-100/2025, has now been taken up by the Crime Branch for a thorough investigation.
The fraud, which occurred during the 2021–2022 academic session, resulted in a financial loss of Rs 57.78 lakh to the Government of India. The Crime Branch action follows a formal complaint filed by the Assistant Director, Backward Classes and Minority Welfare, Bhopal District.
Officials have confirmed that further action is underway, and strict legal consequences will follow for those found guilty. The case highlights the need for enhanced monitoring and verification mechanisms in government welfare schemes to prevent such misuse in the future.
