By Rajesh Pandey
The Alahabad High Court has stayed the arrest of one Shakeel Ahmed Kashmiri, manager of Madrasa Khadij Tul Kubra Lil Banat Ruknpur, in connection with a case of embezzlement of Rs 1,16,000 scholarship amount of 116 students 13 years ago in Meerut Madrasa scholarship distribution.
The court has also sought a reply from the state government in response to this petition.
This order has been given by a division bench comprising Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Prashant Kumar after hearing the petitioner’s advocate, Sunil Chaudhar, and the government counsel.
According to the facts of the case, in the year 2010-11, scholarships for 116 children of Meerut were sent to the madrasa’s account, which was distributed among the children in cash.
However, some irregularities were noticed, and FIRs were lodged on August 28, 2019, against different madrasas for this irregularity at the police station – Economics Offence Wing, Meerut.
The counsel for the petitioner argued that the petitioner distributed cash scholarships in the presence of officials on the instructions of the then-Chief Development Officer, Meerut.
The petitioner’s lawyer said that the Economic Offences Wing wants to arrest the petitioner 14 years after the incident, and the FIR was lodged after eight years.
He further contended that the Minority Welfare Officer, Meerut, is accused of embezzling Rs 3 crore and 99 cases are registered against him. The court has also put a stay on his arrest. Presently, he is posted as District Minority Welfare Officer, Saharanpur.
The petitioner’s counsel contended that no amount of embezzlement has been recovered from the last 13 years till date. The petitioner is innocent. The scholarships have been distributed in cash in Ghaziabad and Saharanpur as well, argued petitioner’s counsel.
After hearing both sides, the court issued a notice to the complainant, Neetu Rana, Inspector EOW Meerut, and the State Government, Superintendent of Police, Economic Offences Organisation, Meerut and others, and they were ordered to file a reply in response to the petition within four weeks.
The court, in its order dated April 11, stayed the arrest of the petitioner till the police report was submitted in the ongoing investigation against the petitioner.