Scammers divert funds meant for Bengal students to buy tabs, 11 arrested so far

West Bengal police has launched a major crackdown in the statewide tab money case, registering around 93 cases and arresting 11 people so far, officials said on Friday.
Out of over 16 lakh students who were to get the money, 1,911 have been allegedly scammed and claimed embezzlement of the funds.
Three people have been arrested in the past 24 hours in East Midnapore and after that it was known that there is an interstate nexus that is involved in the cyber scam.
The nexus operates in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Rajasthan and some of them have been previously associated with similar crimes earlier, police said.
Kolkata Police on Thursday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged tablet money scam case, officials said.
At least 10 cases have been registered at different police stations in Kolkata alone in the alleged scam wherein funds meant for tablets and smartphones to be provided to school students were siphoned off by hacking the West Bengal Education Department’s website.
According to police, the suspects gained unauthorised access to the education department’s portal and siphoned off the funds.
It is alleged that 1,911 eligible students across various districts of the state did not receive Rs 10,000 each that was to be provided to them as an aid for educational purposes.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee promised stern action in the matter and said that no one would be spared and the students who have not received the money would get it.
“We will take tough action. Ones who are associated will not be spared. Police cases have been registered. The administration is looking into it. Students who have not got this money for tabs will be given by us,” Mamata Banerjee said on Friday.
In 2022, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the government’s flagship programme where Class 11th and 12th students would be given Rs 10,000 each to help them purchase tablets under its ‘Taruner Swapna’ project. However, school authorities and parents raised complaints that the money was not received in the account of eligible students in 2024.
As per procedure, students applied for the tab money through the respective portals before the Durga Puja festival. After the puja, the money was supposed to be transferred to the students’ account. However, allegations were made that many of the students did not receive the money in their bank accounts.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) government had launched the West Bengal ‘Taruner Swapna Scheme’ for state students.
Under this scheme, an amount of Rs 10,000 would be provided to the students to buy smartphones and tablets. Also, scholarships were to be provided to students who have passed class 11th and have been admitted to class 12th. The amount was to be transferred to the students’ bank accounts.
The school authorities would be sending a list of eligible students along with their bank account details to the state education department. The government would then deposit an amount of Rs 10,000 each into the accounts of the students to buy smartphones and tablets.
For the financial year of 2023-24, an amount of Rs 900 crore had been earmarked for this scheme.