In an ongoing investigation into the misuse of state grants under the ‘Taruner Swapno‘ scheme, six more individuals were arrested in North Dinajpur and Cooch Behar districts on November 17, 2024. Among the arrested were a primary school teacher and several suspects who had hacked into the state’s education portal to divert funds meant for higher secondary students’ tablets or cell phones.
The scheme, launched by the Mamata Banerjee government, provides Rs 10,000 to students for educational devices. Authorities had previously arrested 11 individuals related to a large-scale scam that has affected nearly 2,000 students across the state. Police investigations revealed that cybercriminal gangs operating across multiple states, including Maharashtra and Rajasthan, were behind the fraud.
In a related incident, six students from RCA Magurpur Uccha Vidyalaya in South Dinajpur reported that they had not received their grants, which were allegedly transferred to hackers’ bank accounts. The total number of arrests connected to the fraud now stands at 17, with the investigation continuing across the state.
The police also found that a teacher, Monojit Barman, had opened multiple bank accounts through which he diverted grant funds, including funds intended for student midday meals. The state government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to address the growing fraud and prevent further misuse of the programme.
