Tab scam: Involvement found across multiple states, 11 arrested; 93 FIRs lodged

Kolkata: Just two days after state Education minister Bratya Basu had apprehended that the siphoning of money meant for the students might be the work of some racket like the Jamtara gang, the state police on Friday informed that during the investigation by the various police units, it was found that people from other states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Jharkhand

were involved.

During a press conference at Bhabani Bhavan, Additional Director General (ADG) of South Bengal, Supratim Sarkar, revealed that the racket involved in siphoning funds from the “Taruner Swapna” scheme had also misappropriated money allocated for public welfare schemes in other states. In all 1,911 out of 16 lakh students of state-run schools in Bengal have fallen victim to a cyber fraud linked to the ‘Taruner Swapno’ scheme, which provides Rs 10,000 to Class 10 and 12 students to purchase tablets, Sarkar said on Friday.

The scam prompted police to launch an investigation. So far, 93 cases have been filed, and 11 people have been arrested in connection with the fraudulent activities, he added. “So far, 11 people have been arrested and 93 FIRs lodged in connection with the tablet scheme scam. Out of the 16 lakh students of Class 10 and 12, 1,911 students have been defrauded,” Sarkar told the media persons.

Sarkar said that as of now a joint investigation monitoring team of the state police is getting in touch with the state governments of Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Jharkhand to get more information about the racket and if any person was arrested in any of these states. Sleuths from Bengal might want to interrogate them as well.The joint investigation monitoring team consist of several senior officials including the ADG of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), R Rajasekaran, ADG, Cyber Cell, H K Kusumakar. Also, Superintendents of Police (SP) and Commissioners of Police (CP) of the respective police units where such complaints were lodged are also the part of the joint monitoring team.