The VB during its initial probe had found that the alleged siphoning of funds involved school principals, district education officers across the state and some officials of the state education department.

Chandigarh: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case in connection with the admission of over 4 lakh fake students and alleged siphoning of funds meant for them in the Haryana government schools in 2016.

According to information, the case was handed over to the CBI on the orders of Punjab and Haryana high court on November 2, 2019, following which the CBI moved the supreme court submitting that the investigation may require huge manpower and the probe should be given to the state police. However, the CBI registered an FIR in the case last week, after the apex court dismissed the CBI petition recently.

According to media reports, the case dated back to 2015 when a group of guest teachers – trained graduate teachers – moved the high court challenging the dismissal notices issued to them. During the proceedings, the high court learned from the state’s counsel that a 2016 audit had detected a discrepancy that only 18 lakh of the reported 22 lakh students were genuinely enrolled in the schools indicating that about 4 lakh admissions were allegedly fake. The alleged discrepancy also impacted the teachers’ recruitment.

The court also learnt that certain cash and in-kind benefits were being given to the students who belonged to backward or poor sections to encourage them to attend schools and the mid-day meal scheme. The high court thus ordered the state vigilance bureau (VB) to investigate into the suspected siphoning off of such funds for the 4 lakh ``non-existent'' students.

However, even though VB recommended seven FIRs in the state, the high court observed in its 2019 order that its probe was sluggish and it transferred the same to the CBI for an expeditious probe, asking VB to hand over all the relevant documents to the CBI.

The VB during its initial probe had also found that the alleged siphoning of funds involved school principals, district education officers across the state and some officials of the state education department.