“This is not just a scam. It is a daylight robbery of Muslim students’ future,” said Maulana Abdul Sami, a senior scholar in Dehradun.
Mohammad bin Ismail
NEW DELHI/ DEHRADUN— A shocking case of scholarship fraud has surfaced in Uttarakhand, where a Hindu-run school, Saraswati Shishu Mandir, is accused of falsely claiming madrasa status to receive government funds meant for poor Muslim students under the Central Minority Scholarship Scheme.
The school, run by right-wing Hindu elements, is not registered as a minority institution. Yet it managed to receive funds by submitting fake documents on the National Scholarship Portal, listing 154 Muslim students who do not even exist in the school.
Muslim leaders and rights groups have reacted strongly to the revelation, calling it a “clear case of stealing from the pockets of the poor and oppressed.”
“This is not just a scam. It is a daylight robbery of Muslim students’ future,” said Maulana Abdul Sami, a senior religious scholar in Dehradun. “They mock us, ignore our needs, and then loot our rights in the name of our religion.”
The scam came to light after information on the portal showed Saraswati Shishu Mandir High School had falsely claimed minority status and listed a suspiciously Muslim-sounding name—Mohammad Shariq Atiq—as the school’s operator.
But locals confirmed that the school has no Muslim administration or students.
“I have lived next to this school for 20 years. There are no Muslim children there. This is clearly a fraud,” said Shahid Khan, a resident of Haridwar.
The scam doesn’t stop with one school. Another institute, National Academy JMYIHS in Kashipur, is under scrutiny for listing 125 Muslim students for scholarships. However, investigations reveal that many of the students may be fake, and the name of its director Gulshafa Ansari is also being checked.
The case has drawn public anger from across India, especially among Muslim parents and students who are regularly denied help despite being among the poorest and most marginalised.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, from the BJP, has ordered a detailed investigation into the scam. He has appointed Dr Parag Madhukar Dhakate, Special Secretary in the Minority Welfare Department, to lead the probe.
“No one who misuses minority schemes will be spared,” said Dhami, adding that “strict action will be taken against all culprits.”
But many feel these words are not enough.
“For years, genuine Muslim students were refused funds due to so-called lack of budget. Now we know where the money went,” said Ruksana Parveen, a school teacher in Nainital. “How many more scams are hidden like this?”
“Muslim children are made to feel like outsiders in their own country. When they apply for a scholarship, they are made to run in circles. But when Hindu schools fake our identity, they get funds in minutes,” added Yusuf Qureshi, a university student.
While the scam is being reported in local press and on social media, major TV channels have mostly remained silent.
“Had a Muslim madrasa done such a thing, it would have been national news. But when a Hindu school cheats in our name, everyone becomes silent,” said Professor Saeed Ahmed, an educationist in Delhi.
He added, “This is not just about money. This is about targeted hate. We are being told we are anti-national, yet our name is good enough for stealing funds.”
This is not the first time such cases have come up. In previous years, several minority scholarships have remained unused due to strict rules and verification for Muslim students, while Hindu institutions have allegedly bypassed checks through fake documents and links to powerful political networks.
“The system is against us. We are being judged for our names, our clothes, even our beard,” said Mohammad Faizan, whose institute Madrasa Al Jamia Ul Madaria is also under review for scholarship data. “We are ready for investigation. But what about those who use fake Muslim names just to get our money?”
Saraswati Shishu Mandir is part of a network of schools run by the Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan, which is associated with the RSS, a right-wing Hindu nationalist organisation. These schools often preach Hindu values, and have been accused of promoting communal thinking in the past.
“These schools teach children to see Muslims as enemies. And now they want to eat our bread too?” asked Shabnam Bano, a mother of two girls who applied for a scholarship last year and was rejected.
“We were told there was no budget. Now we know why. Because our scholarships were looted by those who chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’,” she said with anger.
When contacted, the administration of Saraswati Shishu Mandir declined to comment, saying they were waiting for the investigation report. No official from Vidya Bharati responded to phone calls or emails.
Muslim organisations across Uttarakhand and other states are now demanding a CBI-level probe into the scam, and punishment for all guilty, including those inside the system who approved the fake applications.
“This cannot be the work of one or two people. There are officials who passed the fake entries. They must be arrested,” said Advocate Aamir Rizvi, a human rights lawyer from Haldwani.
“We also demand that all wrongly given scholarships be returned to the minority fund and given to real Muslim students who were denied help.”
The opposition parties, including Congress and AIMIM, have also criticised the state government for allowing such frauds to happen under its nose.
“This is what happens when the system is run by people with hate in their hearts. They want to erase Muslims from records, but use our names to make money,” said Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM chief.
This scam is more than just a case of financial fraud. It has opened up deep wounds of inequality, where Muslims are not only discriminated against but also used as a cover for cheating.
