17 November,2022 08:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
The accused was arrested on Tuesday from Talasari in Palghar district. Representation pic
A retired project officer, who was attached to the Tribal Development Authority in Borivli East, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly embezzling over Rs 1 crore, which was meant for the upliftment of underprivileged tribal students.
The FIR was registered against the accused, Mahadeo Vadu, by his successor, Harshvardhan Yadav, at the Kasturba Marg police station in 2020. An officer told mid-day that a writ petition had been filed in the Bombay High Court, in 2012, after an individual sensed irregularities to the tune of Rs 1.06 crore.
"A five-member committee headed by a retired high court judge was later formed. After conducting a thorough enquiry, the committee submitted a detailed report to the Tribal Development Authority's office," said a police officer.
"Based on the report, senior officials instructed Yadav to register an FIR," the officer added. The source added that the amount was disbursed by the Tribal Development Authority between 2004 and 2009 to provide scholarships to tribal students.
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"The Authority had come up with the scholarship scheme to enhance the quality of education provided to tribal students. As per the scheme, educational institutions where tribal students study were apprised of the scholarships and funds were allocated to them," said the officer.
"The list of tribal students and their respective educational institutions were mentioned in the department's records, but there were no acknowledgement receipts to prove that these establishments had received funds from the department," said the officer.
"When we asked Vadu - who was the project officer at that time - to clarify, he did not reply satisfactorily and subsequently an FIR was filed. The accused was finally arrested on Tuesday from Talasari in Palghar district, where he was living his retired life," he added. The officer added that more people are suspected to be involved in the scam.
2020
The year FIR was filed at the Kasturba Marg police station
