HC orders CBI probe in 4 lakh ‘fake students’ in Haryana schools

In 2016, the HC had been informed that on verification of data, it was found that there were only 18 lakh students in the schools as against enrollment of 22 lakh. It was feared that public funds have been embezzled by government officials and teachers in the name of the non-existing students. Certain benefits are given to students who belong to backward or poor sections of the society to encourage them to attend schools.

“We are of the considered view that since the investigation after the registration of FIRs is very slow, the matter is required to be handed over to the CBI for proper, thorough and expeditious investigation,” the bench said Saturday.

Ordering the SIT probing the case to handover the documents of FIRs to the SP, CBI, Chandigarh in a sealed cover within a week, the court further directed the central agency to complete the investigation within a period of three months and thereafter file a challan. It adjourned the matter to February 18 next year.

The bench also observed that the government in 2016 had made the statement regarding some 4 lakh fake admissions on the basis of a computerized data. “It, thus, pre-supposes that complete data was available with the state government but despite that investigation till date has not been completed,” reads the order.